Food & Nutrition

Arab Journal of Food & Nutrition
57. Growth Patterns of Breast-Fed and Bottle-Fed Group of Infants during the
First Four Months of Age (2002)
Yara Jawad Abu Ziyad\ University of Jordan
Supervisor: Dr. Khader El-Masri
This study was conducted to investigate the effect of type of feeding on growth
patterns of a group of infants during the first four months of life. One hundred and six
infants were divided into two groups: breast fed group (n=64) and formula fed group
(n=42). The following anthropometric indicators were used for the evaluation of
growth patterns for each infant: weight, length, circumference of head, mid-upper arm,
abdomen, chest, calf, and wrist, skinfold thicknesses of triceps, biceps, abdomen, and
subscapular, elbow and wrist breadth, fat percentage, fat mass, and fat free mass.
Social conditions, dietary practices, and morbidity status were also studied for the
same purpose.
Results were compared with two international growth references: National
Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and Eurogrowth. Results showed that infants in
the breast fed group grow faster than infants in the formula fed group during the whole
study period. From birth to the fourth month of age, breast fed infants had an average
increment of 3710 gm in weight, 13.7 cm in length, and 7.1 cm in head circumference.
From the first month to the fourth month of age, these infants had an average
increment of 2.6 cm in mid-upper arm circumference, 5.0 cm in chest circumference,
5.1 in abdomenal circumference, 4.4 cm in calf circumference, 1.1 cm in wrist
circumference, 1.3 mm in biceps, 1.6 mm in triceps, 1.7 mm in the abdomen skinfold,
1.0 mm in the subscapular skinfold, 3.7 % in fat %, 739 gm in fat mass, 1846 gm in fat
free mass, 4 mm in elbow breadth, and 3 mm in wrist breadth.
From birth to the fourth month of age, the formula fed infants had an average
increment of 2942 gm in weight, 11.6 cm in length, and 6.6 cm in head circumference.
From the first month to the fourth month of age, these infants had an average
increment of 2.6 cm in mid-upper arm circumference, 5.6 cm in chest circumference,
6.0 cm in abdomenal circumference, 3.5 cm in calf circumference, 1.2 cm in wrist
circumference, 1.4 mm in biceps, 2.1 mm in triceps, 1.7 mm in the abdomen skinfold,
1.3 mm in the subscapular skinfold, 5.4 % in fat %, 646 gm in fat mass, 1567 gm in fat
free mass, 4 mm in elbow breadth, and 4 mm in wrist breadth. Significant differences
were noticed at each month of age regarding all the indicators with a P- values