Energy intake and growth of infants in Iceland—a population with high frequency of breast-feeding and high birth weight

Abstract

Objective: To investigate infants' energy intake and growth in a population with a high frequency of breast-feeding and high birth weight.

Design: The infants' consumption was recorded once a month from 1 to 12 months of age. At the ages of 2, 4, 6, 9 and 12 months all ingested food was weighed accurately to calculate nutrient intake. A control group participated at the age of 9 months.

Setting: Participants, who were born healthy, were recruited from four different maternity wards. Growth data were collected from healthcare centres and consumption data with parents' assistance from the infants' homes.

Subjects: Infants (n=250) were randomly selected and divided into a research group (n=180) and a control group (n=70). The research group participants numbered 138 (77%) and the control participants 57 (81%).

Results: Energy intake was lower than current recommendations but was similar to that found in recent studies. Growth, as a percentage of birth weight, correlated negatively with birth weight, with r=0.77 (P<0.001) for growth to 12 months. Infants breast-fed at 7 months of age gained less weight from 6 to 9 months, 1057±58 g, than those not breast-fed, 1498±130 g (P<0.001). Analysis of the control group's intake showed that participation in the study did not affect intake.

Conclusion: The findings support the need for new recommendations on energy intake and new growth charts based on current knowledge about breast-fed infants. Birth weight is a determining factor of growth in infancy, and percentage weight gain during the first year of life increases as birth weight decreases.

Sponsorship: The Icelandic Research Council, The Research Fund of the University of Iceland, The Icelandic Nutrition Council, The Students' Innovation Fund, The Icelandic Dairy Marketing Board

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2000) 54, 695–701