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Growth patterns in the first year of life: what is the norm?

N F Sheard1

  • 1Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst 01003.

Nutrition Reviews
|February 1, 1993
PubMed

Insights

National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) growth charts may inaccurately assess breast-fed infants. Formula-fed infants maintained the 50th percentile, while breast-fed infants dropped below it, causing potential concern.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Nutrition Science
  • Growth Monitoring

Background:

  • Reference standards are crucial for assessing infant health.
  • Previous studies have questioned the applicability of current standards for breast-fed infants.
  • National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) growth charts are widely used.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the appropriateness of NCHS reference standards for breast-fed infants.
  • To compare the growth patterns of breast-fed versus formula-fed infants.
  • To identify potential issues arising from deviations from national reference data.

Main Methods:

  • A comparative study analyzing infant weight percentiles.
  • Tracking growth trajectories of breast-fed and formula-fed infants over the first year.
  • Utilizing NCHS reference data for comparison.

Main Results:

  • Formula-fed infants' mean weight remained around the 50th percentile throughout the first year.
  • Breast-fed infants' mean weight fell below the 50th percentile before age one.
  • Observed deviations may not indicate nutritional risk.

Conclusions:

  • Current NCHS reference standards may not accurately reflect the growth of healthy breast-fed infants.
  • Deviations from reference data can lead to unnecessary infant monitoring and parental anxiety.
  • Further research into appropriate growth references for breast-fed infants is warranted.

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