2005, Volume 11 No. 1

ARTICLE 2

Growth and Morbidity in the First Three Months of Life Among Bangladeshi Infants Under Different Breastfeeding Regimens

Luthfor Ahmed, Khaleda Edib & Syed Nazmul Huda
Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh

ABSTRACT
The study compared the growth and morbidity of infants who had received different feeding regimens throughout the first 3 months of their lives. Ninety-two healthy term infants were observed longitudinally in the Metropolitan area of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Postnatal growth was prospectively measured at monthly intervals from birth to 3 months. Weekly home surveillance was done to record feeding and illness symptoms. The infants were classified into ‘predominantly breastfed’ (DBF) and ‘partially breastfed’ (PBF) by their feeding mode. The mean birth weight of DBF infants was 2.83±0.48 kg and PBF infants was 2.93±0.56 kg. The mean group difference of weight increment between birth and the 3rd month was 2.42 kg (DBF) and 2.09 kg (PBF) respectively. DBF infants gained significantly more weight than the PBF infants (P=0.013). Morbidity from diarrhoea/ARI was lower among the DBF. Relative risk of exposure to infections was significantly higher among the PBF infants (P<0.05). The data showed higher rates of growth increments and less illness episodes among the predominantly breastfed infants than the partially breastfed infants in the early stage of extra-uterine life.

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