Related Experiment Videos
Influence of early feeding mode on body composition of infants
N F Butte1, W W Wong, M Fiorotto
1USDA/ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex., USA.
Insights
Infant feeding mode impacts body composition by 4 months. Formula-fed infants showed higher total body water and fat-free mass, but lower body fat percentage compared to breast-fed infants.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Human Nutrition
- Body Composition Analysis
Background:
- Infant feeding practices significantly influence growth and development.
- Understanding the impact of breast milk versus formula on early body composition is crucial for long-term health outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the differential effects of infant feeding mode (breast-feeding vs. formula-feeding) on body composition at 1 and 4 months of age.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 40 infants (20 breast-fed, 20 formula-fed) at 1 and 4 months.
- Body composition assessed using anthropometry, 18O dilution for total body water (TBWO), and total-body electrical conductivity (TOBEC).
- Fat-free mass (FFMO) and body fat (FATT) calculated from TBWO and TOBEC measurements; data analyzed using ANOVA.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in anthropometric measurements between feeding groups at either age.
- At 4 months, significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed in body composition between breast-fed and formula-fed infants.
- Formula-fed infants exhibited higher relative total body water and fat-free mass, and lower relative body fat compared to breast-fed infants at 4 months.
Conclusions:
- Infant feeding mode influences body composition by 4 months of age.
- Formula feeding is associated with a body composition profile characterized by increased hydration and lean mass, and decreased fat mass relative to body weight.
- These findings highlight the distinct physiological effects of different infant feeding modalities on early body composition.
Abstract:
To determine the effect of infant feeding mode on body composition, a cross-sectional study was designed in which 10 breast-fed and 10 formula-fed infants were studied at 1 month of age, and another 10 breast-fed and 10 formula-fed infants at 4 months of age. Anthropometric measurements included body weights, lengths, selected diameters, circumferences and skinfold thicknesses. Total body water (TBWO) was measured by 18O dilution. A dose equivalent to 300 mg 18O/kg body weight was administered orally to the infants. Fat-free mass (FFMO) was calculated from TBWO using reference hydration constants of 0.805 and 0.798 at 1 and 4 months, respectively. Body fatO was taken as the difference between weight and FFMO. Total-body electrical conductivity (TOBEC) measurements were used to estimate FFMT and FATT. ANOVA was used to analyze the anthropometric and body composition data using feeding mode and age as grouping factors. Anthropometric measurements did not differ by feeding mode. TBW (kg) and FFM (kg) and body fat (kg) derived from 18O dilution or TOBEC did not differ by feeding mode. TBWO,T (%wt), FFMO,T (%wt), and body fatO,T (%wt) derived from 18O dilution and TOBEC differed significantly between the breast-fed and formula-fed infants at 4 months of age (p < 0.05). Expressed as a percentage of body weight, TBWO and FFMO,T were higher and body fatO,T was lower among the 4-month formula-fed infants.