Body composition in infants at two and four months of age according to the type of feeding. Preliminary data
Authors: Muñoz‐Esparza Nelly , Vasquez‐Garibay Edgar M , Larrosa‐Haro Alfredo , Guzmán‐Mercado Elizabeth , Apodaca Sofia , Badillo Nayeli , Mancilla‐Madrid Michelle , Romero‐Velarde Enrique 
Published: November 2023

Introduction

Human milk is the natural and optimal food to meet the nutritional needs of the infant during the first six months of life. It offers multiple benefits to the mother/child dyad, ensures optimum growth and development for the infant and has short and long‐term protective effects against cardiovascular diseases, overweight, obesity, atopy, cancer, among others. Differences in growth and body composition of the infant have been observed according to the type of feeding, whether exclusive breastfeeding (EBF), partial breastfeeding (PBF) or milk‐based infant formula (MIF). Therefore, the purpose is to show results of the comparison of anthropometric indicators associated with growth and body composition in infants of two and four months of age according to the type of feeding.

Methodology

In a cohort study, with a non‐random sample at the site of concentration, 104 dyads (mother‐Child) who met the inclusion criteria and signed informed consent were admitted to the physiological puerperium wards of the New Civil Hospital of Guadalajara. The infants were submitted to an anthropometric evaluation at two and four months of age (weight, length, cephalic circumference, middle upper arm circumference (MUAC), tricipital and subscapular skinfold. The comparison between groups was performed with ANOVA, Post‐Hoc tests and Student's t test for independent samples or with Mann‐Whitney U test. The Research and Bioethics Committee of the New Civil Hospital of Guadalajara approved the protocol.

Results

Of the total sample at four months (104), 42 infants received exclusive breastfeeding (EBF), 37 partial breastfeeding (PBF) and 25 milk‐based infant formula (MIF). When comparing infants according to the type of feeding, at four months it was observed that those receiving EBF have a higher weight (p=0.021) and BMI (p=0.027) than those receiving PBF. The thickness of the triceps skinfold (p=0.01) and MUAC (p=0.043) were greater in infants who received EBF compared to infants who received PBF. Likewise, subscapular skinfold at two months showed a tendency to be greater (p=0.052) in the EBF group than in PBF; In addition, cephalic circumference was higher in infants with EBF than in infants fed MIF (p=0.044). No differences in length for age were observed between the three groups.

Conclusion

Infants receiving EBF have higher adiposity according to the arm indicators compared to those receiving partial breastfeeding or milk formula. This finding could be attributed to the composition of human milk, the type of fat and its higher content in this milk secretion. An interesting finding was the greater growth of cephalic circumference in infants EBF that could be related to higher content of neurons and inter‐neural connections.

Support or Funding Information

Project supported by the National Council of Science and Technology of Mexico (234158)