Impact of breast-feeding on infant body weight

The aim of this prospective study is to study the influence of breastfeeding on somatic growth and weight gain (body weight, body length, head circumference) in the first year of life. Antropometric measurements of the infants test were taken and the results were processed statistically. 150 infants in the area of Solin were tested in the period between November 1993 and April 1995. Antropometric measurements of the tested infants were taken after birth at the age of six and twelve months. Depending on the length of the breast-feeding period three groups were formed: group A (breast-fed for twelve months), group B (breast-fed for six months), group C (breast-fed for maximum one months). The percentage of breast-fed infants sharply fell in the first three months of life. At the age of one months, one hundred and one infants (67.33%) were breast-fed; at the age of three months sixty-six (44%) infants; at the age of six months forty-six (30.66%) infants; at the age of nine months thirty-four (22.66%) infants; at the age of twelve months twenty-six (17.33%) infants of the total number of tested infants, i.e. of a hundred and fifty. Observing the growth, measuring the body weight, body length and head circumference, at birth, at the age of six and twelve months, showed no statistically significant difference (p > 0,05), among the groups of the tested infants who were breast-fed up to one month, six months and twelve months of age. The sharpest fall in the percentage of breast-fed infants occurs in the course of the first month of life (32.7%), followed by another 23% by the age of three months, the percentage getting lower with the passing months. It means that our activity in prolonging the breast-feeding period should be concentrated at the prenatal age, and particularly the newborn age.