Babies fed breastmilk by breast versus by bottle: a pilot study evaluating early growth patterns
- PMID: 21133764
- DOI: 10.1089/bfm.2010.0055
Babies fed breastmilk by breast versus by bottle: a pilot study evaluating early growth patterns
Abstract
Background: Numerous studies have documented short- and long-term differences in growth and body composition based on whether an infant is breastfed or formula-fed. However, little is known about whether these differences result from the substance consumed (breastmilk vs. formula) or from the delivery method (breast vs. bottle). This prospective pilot study compared the growth and body composition patterns of 19 predominantly breastfed/nursing infants (NG) and 18 infants fed significant quantities of breastmilk by bottle (BG) during the first 6 months of life.
Methods: Infants were measured in a laboratory setting each month by trained staff. Growth measures (length, weight, and head circumference) were compared to World Health Organization growth standards. Body composition, including relative fat mass (%FM), was measured using an air-displacement plethysmography system (Pea Pod(®), Life Measurement, Inc., Concord, CA).
Results: With the exception of small differences in length and weight scaled for length (body mass index and weight-for-length z-score) present at birth and continuing for the first 1-2 months of life, NG and BG infants were similar in weight, weight-for-age z-scores, head circumference, fat mass, and %FM. However, BG infants were three times more likely to exceed the 85(th) percentile for weight velocity during the 4-6-month age interval than NG infants (33% vs. 10%, respectively), but this did not reach statistical significance in this sample size (p = 0.12).
Conclusions: This pilot study suggests the delivery method (breast vs. bottle) for breastmilk may not dramatically affect growth for the first 4 months of life; however, future research with larger samples will be needed to carefully evaluate longer-term growth patterns in infants fed breastmilk by bottle.
Similar articles
-
Body composition changes in the first 6 months of life according to method of feeding.J Hum Lact. 2014 May;30(2):148-55. doi: 10.1177/0890334413516196. Epub 2013 Dec 18. J Hum Lact. 2014. PMID: 24352651 Review.
-
Nutrition, growth, and allergic diseases among very preterm infants after hospital discharge.Dan Med J. 2013 Feb;60(2):B4588. Dan Med J. 2013. PMID: 23461996 Review.
-
Breast- and bottle-feeding: the effect on infant weight gain in the Fiji-Indian infant.Ecol Food Nutr. 1984;15(2):109-14. doi: 10.1080/03670244.1984.9990816. Ecol Food Nutr. 1984. PMID: 12313441
-
Breast feeding and infant growth, a follow-up study in Menoufia, Egypt.Popul Sci. 1990 Jul;9:69-75. Popul Sci. 1990. PMID: 12284320
-
Breastfeeding: growth of exclusively breastfed infants.Mothers Child. 1985 Nov-Dec;5(1):5, 7. Mothers Child. 1985. PMID: 12267430
Cited by
-
Exclusivity of breastfeeding and body composition: learnings from the Baby-bod study.Int Breastfeed J. 2021 May 19;16(1):41. doi: 10.1186/s13006-021-00389-x. Int Breastfeed J. 2021. PMID: 34011366 Free PMC article.
-
Association of Infant Feeding Methods and Excess Weight from Birth to Age 6.Breastfeed Med. 2021 Sep;16(9):750-758. doi: 10.1089/bfm.2020.0261. Epub 2021 Apr 27. Breastfeed Med. 2021. PMID: 33913744 Free PMC article.
-
Improved Estimation of Breastfeeding Rates Using a Novel Breastfeeding and Milk Expression Survey.Breastfeed Med. 2019 Sep;14(7):499-507. doi: 10.1089/bfm.2018.0258. Epub 2019 Jun 18. Breastfeed Med. 2019. PMID: 31509466 Free PMC article.
-
Factors Associated With Exclusive Breastfeeding Through Four Weeks Postpartum in Thai Adolescent Mothers.J Perinat Educ. 2016;25(3):150-161. doi: 10.1891/1058-1243.25.3.150. J Perinat Educ. 2016. PMID: 30538412 Free PMC article.
-
Human Milk Casein and Whey Protein and Infant Body Composition over the First 12 Months of Lactation.Nutrients. 2018 Sep 19;10(9):1332. doi: 10.3390/nu10091332. Nutrients. 2018. PMID: 30235880 Free PMC article.
Publication types
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Medical