QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Eckhardt, C. L. Articles by Martorell, R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Eckhardt, C. L. Articles by Martorell, R.

---

Articles

Full Breast-Feeding for at Least Four Months Has Differential Effects on Growth before and after Six Months of Age among Children in a Mexican Community^{1 ,2}

Cara L. Eckhardt³, Juan Rivera^*, Linda S. Adair and Reynaldo Martorell

Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC; ^* National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Mexico; and Department of International Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA

³To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: roberts9{at}email.unc.edu.

This study examines the relationship between breast-feeding and growth from 0 to 6 and 6 to 20 mo among 185 children in a Mexican community. Infants from a previous 6-mo longitudinal study were followed up for additional anthropometric measurements at a mean age of 19.9 mo. Size at 6 mo and at follow-up were modeled as outcomes of whether infants were fully breast-fed (exclusively or predominantly breast-fed) for at least 4 mo, controlling for size at birth and 6 mo, respectively, and potential confounders. From birth to 6 mo, fully breast-fed infants had ponderal index increments of 0.07 units larger (P = 0.04) than comparison infants. There were no differences in weight. For length, an interaction between full breast-feeding and socioeconomic status (SES) was found, with fully breast-fed infants of low SES growing more than comparison infants, whereas the opposite was seen at upper SES levels. From 6 to 20 mo, fully breast-fed infants had weight and length increments of 0.53 cm (P < 0.001) and 0.72 kg (P = 0.01) smaller than those of comparison infants. For ponderal index, an interaction between mother’s education and breast-feeding revealed an inverted U-shaped response across levels of education. Additionally, logistic regressions of monthly breast-feeding on lagged measurements revealed that relatively heavier infants had higher odds of being fully breast-fed at 2 and 3 mo. Our findings indicate that the benefits of full breast-feeding on growth may be most pronounced early in life. Further research of unmeasured confounders may explain the association of full breast-feeding with slower growth beyond 6 mo.

KEY WORDS: • breast-feeding • growth • Mexico • infant feeding

This article has been cited by other articles:

				G. Pall, M. Szovetes, H. Marton, I. Molnar, Z. Voko, E. Szakos, S. Sipka, I. Ilyes, G. Szegedi, and G. Pasti Relation between the socioeconomic status of the family and primary allergy prevention in infant feeding in Hajdu-Bihar County, Hungary Eur J Public Health, February 1, 2006; 16(1): 48 - 53. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Chisenga, L. Kasonka, M. Makasa, M. Sinkala, C. Chintu, C. Kaseba, F. Kasolo, A. Tomkins, S. Murray, and S. Filteau Factors Affecting the Duration of Exclusive Breastfeeding Among HIV-Infected and -Uninfected Women in Lusaka, Zambia J Hum Lact, August 1, 2005; 21(3): 266 - 275. [Abstract] [PDF]

				D. J. Hruschka, D. W. Sellen, A. D. Stein, and R. Martorell Delayed Onset of Lactation and Risk of Ending Full Breast-Feeding Early in Rural Guatemala J. Nutr., August 1, 2003; 133(8): 2592 - 2599. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]