Body weight of Pakistani infants reared on different feeding regimes
Nagra, S.A.
Archivos Latinoamericanos de Nutricion 39(1): 9-16
1989
ISSN/ISBN: 0004-0622 PMID: 2487023 Document Number: 375232
916 randomly selected infants born in various hospitals in Faisalabad, Pakistan with no congenital abnormalities, were followed with weight monitoring and maternal interviews on feeding regimens, from 24 hours after birth to 12 months at 30 day intervals. Exclusively breast fed infants gained significantly more weight for the 1st 6 months of age (p0.01). Breast-fed infants also doubled their birth weight earlier, 4.5 months, than did bottle fed infants, 6-7 months for males and 5-6 months for females. Bottle-fed infants gained weight more rapidly than exclusively breast-fed infants for the 2nd 6 months of life. Children fed by breast and bottle gained weight at a rate intermediate between breast and bottle feeding. Average weight gains for the whole series was consistently inferior to the Harvard standards, as well as local standards at all time points. Mothers here typically give diluted milk by bottle until about age 6 months, then whole milk with solid food supplementation.