OBJECTIVE Despite cultural pressure to wean when a new pregnancy occurs, some women choose to continue breastfeeding. We determined the effect of an overlap of lactation and late pregnancy on breastfeeding and growth in early infancy. METHODS We studied 133 Peruvian pregnant women who were > or =18 years of age, had a child <4 years old, and who then had a vaginal birth with a healthy, normal...

During 2001, neurologic impairment resulting from cobalamin (vitamin B12) deficiency was diagnosed in two children in Georgia. The children were breastfed by mothers who followed vegetarian diets. This report summarizes the two cases and provides guidance for health-care providers on identifying and preventing cobalamin deficiency among breastfed infants of vegetarian mothers.

BACKGROUND In developing countries, infectious diseases such as diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections are the main cause of mortality and morbidity in infants aged less than one year. The importance of exclusive breastfeeding in the prevention of infectious diseases during infancy is well known. Although breastfeeding is almost universal in Bangladesh, the rates of exclusive breastfeeding ...

BACKGROUND A high early protein intake is associated with rapid postnatal weight gain and altered body composition. We aimed to evaluate the safety of a low-protein formula in healthy full-term infants. METHODS A randomized controlled trial was conducted. A total of 118 infants were randomized to receive two different protein content formulas (formula A or formula B (protein content: 1.2 vs. ...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of breastmilk as a source of phenylalanine (phe) on levels of this amino acid and on growth in phenylketonuric infants. METHODS The study recruited 35 breastfed phenylketonuric infants and compared their results with those of 35 infants fed on commercial, milk-based formula. The groups were paired for sex and age at weaning from breastfeeding. Data were analyz...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the growth of exclusively breastfed infants from birth to 6 months of life. METHODS This was a longitudinal study of 184 children who received primary care at a public institution (Exclusive Breastfeeding Stimulation Program, PROAME) in Belém, state of Pará, Brazil, between February 2000 and January 2001. A total of 102 children completed the study. All were born at full...

Context This study addresses the relationship between breastfeeding in infancy and being overweight or obese in childhood. In some previous studies, it has been found that breastfed infants are less likely to become overweight or obese in later life, while in others, the opposite has been found. Other studies have found no difference in rates of overweight or obesity for breastfed and non-breas...

Background: Developmental delay in preterm infants was estimated to be more common than term infants. Identifying the factors predisposing to developmental delay can help experts and health professionals in this field to prevent developmental delay of the infants, and leads to better management of the condition of them. This study aimed to evaluate and investigate the predisposing factors of de...

Exclusive breastfeeding was studied among 506 infants in Uppsala, Sweden, based on daily recordings during the first 6 mo. The mothers had previously breastfed at least one infant for at least 4 mo. Most of the mothers considered that they breastfed on demand. Wide variations in breastfeeding frequency and suckling duration were found both between different infants and in the individual infant ...