Early weaning is related to weight and rate of weight gain in infancy

Background Evidence relating to the effect of early weaning on infant weight and weight gain is conflicting. The aim of this paper is to compare weight and weight gain in two groups of infants; one group weaned before 4 months (early weaned), the other weaned at 4 months or after. Methods Feeding practices were assessed through semistructured interviews with mothers of 1‐year‐old infants. Weight at birth, 8 weeks and 7 months were taken from an administrative database (Child Health System), and an additional measure of weight was taken at 14 months. Results Infants weaned early were heavier at 7 and 14 months, and gained more weight between 8 weeks and 14 months, even after breastfeeding was controlled for. Conclusion Early weaning is related to rapid weight gain in infancy. This may have implications for childhood obesity.     

Addition of Supplementary Foods and Infant Growth (2 to 24 Months)

Objective: To determine the effect of adding supplementary foods on infant growth 2 to 8 and 12 to 24 months.

Methods: Length (cm/month) and weight (kg/month) of white infants (n = 94) were measured five to nine times from 2 to 24 months of age. Mothers reported birth weights, infants’ ages at first introduction of supplementary food, illnesses and information sources about infant feeding. Simple linear regression equations were used to compute slopes for each child (unit changes in length and in weight by age). Stepwise linear regression was used to determine the effect on weight and length slopes by the introduction of supplementary foods (e.g., an infant’s age when cereal, fruit, juice, vegetables and a meat cluster were first added) to the diet. Breast feeding (months duration or ever fed), illness scores and gender were covariates in the regression models.

Results: A significant model (F = 10.09, p = .002) for weight gain (2 to 8 months) showed that gender explained 10% of the variance; for length slope, the model was non-significant and gender explained 3% of the variance. Females had a slower weight gain compared to that of males. None of the covariates or supplementary foods were retained in the models. Weight prior to 12 months was the best predictor (p = .0001, 54% of the variance) of weight gain 12 to 24 months.

Conclusions: Unit changes in weight or length for an infant’s age were not statistically associated with the timing of when supplementary foods were first added to the diet 2 to 8 or 12 to 24 months. Weight prior to 12 months was a significant predictor of weight gain 12 to 24 months.     

Growth pattern of exclusively breast-fed infants during the first six months of life in Ile-Ife,Osun State,Nigeria

Several studies to determine the growth pattern of exclusively breast fed infants have provided varying conclusions as to the sufficiency of breast milk alone to support adequate growth for the first six months of life. Disagreement exists concerning the optimal timing of introduction of complementary foods to exclusively breast fed infants. This prospective study thus examined the adequacy of breast milk alone to support normal growth during the first six months of life in our environment. The overall objective was to propose a scientifically sound national recommendation on the appropriate timing for the introduction of complementary feeding in Nigeria. Three hundred and fifty-two mother/infant pairs were serially recruited into the study; all babies were aged 14 days or less and weighed 2.5 kg and above. Three hundred and forty-five (98%) were successfully followed up till the infants were six months old. By six months, 264 (76.5%) were exclusively breast-fed, while 81 (23.5%) had commenced complementary feeding. Growth curves of exclusively breast-fed infants showed increasing weight from birth to six months. Although the 50th percentile birth weight for both boys and girls were the same (3.2 kg), boys gained weight faster than the girls from the age of one month to six months and were heavier at six months. Additionally, the 50th percentile curves of these infants (both genders) for the first six months were above the 50th percentile curve of the World Health Organisation and National Centre for Health Statistics (WHO/NCHS) reference currently used on our national "road to health" (growth monitoring) cards. It was concluded that exclusive breast-feeding supported adequate growth during the first six months of life for most of the children studied and that our national recommendation that infants be introduced to complementary feeding at six months is appropriate.     

Feeding Tolerance in Preterm Infants: Randomized Trial of Bolus and Continuous Feeding

Objective: To test the hypothesis that continuous gastric infusion (CGI) is better tolerated than intermittent gastric bolus (IGB) in small very low birth weight (VLBW) infants.

Design: Two-center, prospective, randomized, unmasked clinical trial.

Patients: 28 VLBW infants (birth weight <1250 g). A strict feeding protocol was followed.

Intervention: Patients were randomized to IGB or CGI.

Main outcome measures: Time to reach full feeds (160 cc/kg/d)(by design and real), daily weight, caloric intake, residual gastric volume and type of feeding (formula vs. human milk vs. both).

Results: Five infants failed to complete the study because of death (n = 4) or protocol violation (n = 1). The two groups did not differ by birth weight or gestational age; infants fed via IGB reached full feeds earlier (p = 0.03) and had less delay in reaching full feeds than infants fed via CGI.

Conclusion: Contrary to our hypothesis, gravity IGB is more effective than CGI in improving feeding tolerance in small VLBW infants.     

Growth outcome of the very low-birth-weight infant at one year

Growth patterns of weight, length, and OFC complete through 12 months corrected age were determined for 122 VLBW infants who weighed 1,500 gm. or less and were 35 weeks or less gestational age at birth. Significant differences in growth were apparent when infants were grouped according to sex and appropriateness of intrauterine growth. When the mean values of each group were compared, the female AGA infants demonstrated growth at higher percentiles (NCHS term infant norms) for all three growth parameters (weight, length, and OFC). AGA male, SGA male, and SGA female infants all grew similarly, at lower percentiles for weight and length, when compared with the same norms. Growth in OFC was closest to term infant norms in all subgroups of infants. (formula; see text) Appropriateness of weight for length was determined for each of the infants at one year corrected age. The majority of the babies, regardless of subgroup, achieved weights and lengths greater than the 5th percentile and with normal weights for lengths. At 12 months corrected age, 30% remained below the 5th percentile in weight, 21% below the 5th percentile in length, and 14% below the 5th percentile in OFC. Eighteen infants (15%) demonstrated a disproportionately low weight for length (less than the 5th percentile).     

Body composition in preterm infants fed standard term or enriched formula after hospital discharge

Summary. Background: Most preterm infants are still preterm and have a low birth weight when they are discharged from the hospital. An important issue is whether the long-term consequences of early growth restriction can be diminished by nutritional intervention in preterm infants after discharge from the hospital. Aim: To evaluate differences in growth and in weight gain composition of preterm infants fed standard term formula (SF) or enriched formula (PDF) after discharge from hospital during the first 2 months of life. Methods: Thirty-three healthy preterm infants, birth weight < 1750 g at gestational age < 35 weeks, were randomised to SF or PDF at the time of discharge from hospital. Anthropometric variables were studied longitudinally and body composition was measured using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) twice, before hospital discharge and two months later. Weight gain composition was calculated as the difference between the two determinations. Results: Seventeen infants were fed SF and 16 PDF. Anthropometric variables and whole body composition were similar at birth, at the start of the nutritional study (mean age 45 days), and at the end of the study 2 months later. Over the whole study period, weight gain and weight gain composition were similar in the two groups. Sex did not appear to influence weight gain and weight gain composition. In infants with growth restriction at discharge there was a significant reduction of weight gain, fat mass gain, and bone mineral content deposition independently of the formula provided. Conclusions: There is no immediate effect on preterm infants of a nutrient enriched formula compared with a standard formula on growth, weight gain, or weight gain composition. Received: 12 February 2002, Accepted: 18 July 2002     

足月低体重儿体格及智能发育110例观察

目的 对足月低体重儿体格发育进行评价,分析早期营养对其智能发育的影响。方法 对2013-2015年来西安市第四医院随访的符合条件的110例足月低体重儿进行随访至12月龄,对随访结果进行分析。结果 1)110例足月低体重儿其体格生长指标(体重、身长、头围)在不同时期(出生时、1、3、6、9、12月龄)仍小于同性别第3百分位(P₃)的占比,差异存在统计学意义(χ²=304.45,381.08,45.80,P均<0.01);2)各体格发育指标在不同时期小于同性别P₂₅占比,差异也存在统计学意义(χ²=193.06,203.12,110.35,P均<0.01);3)3月龄时体重仍25组的足月低体重儿,其Gesell测评结果中,各能区发育迟缓人数高于3月龄时体重≥P₂₅组,在适应性、精细运动、语言方面两组差异存在统计学意义(χ²=8.071,7.981,9.870,P均<0.05)。结论 足月低体重儿生后其体格生长呈追赶趋势,6个月内追赶最快;3个月内营养状况对其12月龄Gesell值有影响;早期合适的营养有助于足月低体重儿体格的追赶,有利于其智能的发育。     

上海市金山区0～3岁低出生体重儿体格发育纵向研究

目的：了解上海市金山区0～3岁低出生体重儿体格发育状况，为其生长发育监测及科学喂养提供依据。方法：选取2016年1月—2017年3月出生，定期在金山区妇幼保健所儿童保健门诊接受系统管理的低出生体重儿69例作为干预组，随机抽取金山区同期正常出生体重儿69例作为对照组，干预组儿童在常规指导的基础上给予发育筛查、营养指导、早期教育等综合干预。结果：干预组男童体重、身长分别在出生后6个月、12个月左右逐渐追上对照组；女童体重在出生后0～36月内始终落后于对照组，身长在36月左右完成追赶。干预组和对照组组男童、女童各阶段的月均体重增长速率、月均身长增长速率均随着年龄增长逐渐降低，干预组男童、女童的月均体重增长速率在0～6月、0～9月明显高于对照组，干预组男童、女童的月均身长增长速率在2～6月均高于对照组。结论：低出生体重儿在0～3岁期间存在追赶性生长，营养指导、抚触训练、早期教育等综合干预可促进低出生体重儿健康成长。     

婴儿期营养性贫血多因素分析

【目的】了解婴儿期不同月龄贫血发生情况，探讨其影响因素，为干预提供依据。【方法】对829名首次就诊于儿童保健门诊的1～12个月婴儿的保健资料进行分析。【结果】贫血总检出率为15．56％，其中1～4个月组为9．7％，5～6月组为15．3％．7～12月组为32．1％。单因素分析显示1～4个月组母乳喂养者贫血发生率较低，母亲产前出血、妊高征、胎龄、出生体重均与婴儿贫血有关。5～12月人工喂养者贫血发生率较低，婴儿食欲与贫血发生相关；Logistic回归分析显示1～4月组、出生体重及母亲妊高征与婴儿贫血相关，5～12月组与贫血相关的因素为喂养方式和月平均身高增加量。【结论】加强围产保健，减少低出生体重儿的发生率，提倡婴儿期母乳喂养的同时注意适时、适量合理的添加辅食(其他食物)是减少婴儿期贫血的有力措施。     

Associations between Infant Feeding Practice Prior to Six Months and Body Mass Index at Six Years of Age

Rapid growth during infancy is associated with increased risk of overweight and obesity and differences in weight gain are at least partly explained by means of infant feeding. The aim was to assess the associations between infant feeding practice in early infancy and body mass index (BMI) at 6 years of age. Icelandic infants (n = 154) were prospectively followed from birth to 12 months and again at age 6 years. Birth weight and length were gathered from maternity wards, and healthcare centers provided the measurements made during infancy up to 18 months of age. Information on breastfeeding practices was documented 0–12 months and a 24-h dietary record was collected at 5 months. Changes in infant weight gain were calculated from birth to 18 months. Linear regression analyses were performed to examine associations between infant feeding practice at 5 months and body mass index (BMI) at 6 years. Infants who were formula-fed at 5 months of age grew faster, particularly between 2 and 6 months, compared to exclusively breastfed infants. At age 6 years, BMI was on average 1.1 kg/m² (95% CI 0.2, 2.0) higher among infants who were formula fed and also receiving solid foods at 5 months of age compared to those exclusively breastfed. In a high-income country such as Iceland, early introduction of solid foods seems to further increase the risk of high childhood BMI among formula fed infants compared with exclusively breastfed infants, although further studies with greater power are needed.     

Indicators for monitoring the growth of peruvian infants: weight and length gain vs attained weight and length.

OBJECTIVES. To determine appropriate indicators and age intervals for growth monitoring in this population, the relationship between monthly weight and length indicators and nutritional status at 12 months was evaluated among 102 low-income Peruvian infants. METHODS. Cutoffs for defining adequate vs slow growth were obtained from published reference data, and sensitivities and specificities of each indicator were calculated. RESULTS. Low weight gain in early infancy, especially from 1 to 2 months, is useful for predicting low weight at 1 year (sensitivity = 81%, specificity = 65%, 25th percentile cutoff). Use of actual weight at 2 months, however, produces comparable results (sensitivity = 86%, specificity = 57%, 50th percentile cutoff). Monthly length gains were weak predictors of low length for age. Neither weight nor length gains accurately predicted the opposite form of undernutrition. Nonhuman milk consumption before 4 months and poor appetite from 3 to 12 months were related to low early weight gain and subsequent undernutrition. CONCLUSIONS. Growth monitoring programs in this population should enroll infants at birth, monitor actual weight, promote exclusive breast-feeding and delayed introduction of nonhuman milk, and provide specific feeding advice to mothers of infants with frequently depressed appetite.     

Anthropometric Characteristics of Pakistani School Children Living in Bahrain

Background This survey was designed to study the gender difference in physical growth of 1113 Pakistani children (646 male and 467 female) living in Bahrain and to compare growth with their Bahraini and Pakistani counterparts. Methods Measurements of height, weight, mid-arm circumference, biceps, triceps, subscapular and suprailiac skinfold thickness were carried out using the standard methods, and the median values for height and weight were plotted against the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) standard charts. Results The median weight of the boys was below the 25th percentile rising slightly above the 25th percentile at 12 years. The median height was also below the 25th percentile touching the 25th percentile only between 10–12 and 17 years. In girls, the median weight touched the 50th percentile at 15 years, followed by a fall to the 5th percentile between 16 and 17 years of age while the median height touched the 5th percentile at 17 years of age. The median body mass index (BMI) values were above the 50th percentile between 13 and 15 years in boys, and below the 50th percentile at all ages in girls. The median triceps skinfold thickness in boys was above the 50th percentile between 10–15 and 17 years in boys and in girls it was mostly below the 50th percentile rising above 50th percentile at 14, 15 and 17 years of age. Conclusion The height and weight of the study group was similar to that of children residing in Pakistan for both the genders, but lower than their Bahraini counterparts for most age groups compared. Furthermore, Pakistani boys residing in Bahrain were taller after 14 years of age and heavier after 16 years of age compared to their female counterparts.     

婴儿期增重与5岁以下儿童单纯性肥胖的相关性研究

目的探讨婴儿期增重与5岁以下儿童单纯性肥胖的相关性。方法选取2006年至2011年在中山市博爱医院出生的6746例婴儿进行随访登记,统计相关数据,从中筛选出单纯性肥胖的567例儿童设为肥胖组,并按年龄、性别匹配原则1：1配对者设为对照组,进行父母文化程度、婴儿出生体重、喂养等方面的单因素分析,并进行影响儿童单纯性肥胖的多因素logistics回归分析。结果多因素logistics回归分析显示：与儿童单纯性肥胖显著相关的变量为婴儿出生时的体重（OR=1．94,95％CI=1．56,2．32）、婴儿期前6个月平均增重量（OR=2．17,95％CI=2．11,2．36）及婴儿期后6个月的平均增重量（OR=1．90,95％CI=1．61,2．19）,均P〈0．05。结论与儿童单纯性肥胖密切相关的影响因素为：婴儿出生时的体重、婴儿期前6个月及添加辅食后6个月的平均增重量。     

Milk feeding and dietary patterns predict weight and fat gains in infancy

Current guidelines recommend that infants are exclusively breast fed for the first 6 months of life, with particular solid foods being gradually introduced from 6 months. Our objective was to compare the growth of infants whose feeding most closely followed current guidelines with the growth of infants with other feeding practices. Participants were 1740 infants in a prospective cohort study in Southampton, UK. At 6 and 12 months, infants’ milk feeding was recorded, diets assessed using food frequency questionnaires (FFQ), and anthropometry performed. Principal components analysis was used to identify patterns of foods in the diet using the food intakes assessed by the FFQs. Two patterns (‘infant guidelines’ and ‘adult foods’) explained most variance in infant diet at 6 and 12 months of age. The main outcomes were conditional growth in weight, length and skinfold thickness from 0–6 and 6–12 months. Infants who were breast fed from 0–6 months gained weight, length and adiposity more slowly than formula‐fed infants, independent of age at introduction of solids and maternal factors: compared with infants who were breast fed from 0–6 months, formula‐fed infants gained 0.21 standard deviation scores (SDS) in weight [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.00, 0.42]. Infants whose dietary pattern was most similar to current feeding guidelines, with high frequencies of fresh fruit and vegetables, home‐prepared foods and breast milk, gained weight and skinfold thickness more rapidly from 6 to 12 months than other infants, independent of milk feeding, age at introduction of solids and maternal factors. Compared with infants in the lowest quarter, infants in the highest ‘infant guidelines’ score quarter gained 0.24 SDS [95% CI 0.06, 0.43] in weight and 0.26 SDS [95% CI 0.07, 0.45] in skinfold thickness. Conversely, infants whose diets had the highest frequencies of breads and processed foods gained weight less rapidly from 6 to 12 months than other infants. The extent to which the patterns of diet and growth we have described will influence the current or later health of infants is unknown. We are following up the infants in this study to assess the impact of these patterns beyond the first year of life. These associations should also be examined in other settings and populations.     

Breast-feeding and weight change in newborns in Jamaica

This study was conducted to examine weight change of exclusively breast-fed infants during the first week and through the first 24 days of life, and to evaluate the effect of breast-feeding factors and maternal characteristics on early weight change in the infants. The weights of 21 infants were recorded on day 1 (day of birth), and on days 3, 7, 10, 17, and 24, and the data analysed to evaluate weight change over the period. Multiple regression analysis was used to assess whether birth weight as well as maternal and breast-feeding factors were significant predictors of weight on day 24. Nineteen of the 21 infants gained weight between days 1 and 3, and 20 infants gained weight between days 3 and 7. All infants gained weight over the 24-day period and their weights at day 7 and day 24 were significantly different (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively) from their birth weights. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that significant (P < 0.01) predictors of weight gain by day 24 included birth weight, mother's educational level, whether the baby cried before feeding, and length of feeding time periods. This is the first study of weight change in the early days and weeks of life of exclusively breast-fed newborn infants in Jamaica. The infants showed significant weight gain during the study period and weight gain was affected by certain maternal and breast-feeding factors.     

Birth Weight and Infant Growth: Optimal Infant Weight Gain versus Optimal Infant Weight

Objective: Infant growth assessment often focuses on “optimal” infant weights and lengths at specific ages, while de-emphasizing infant weight gain. Objective of this study was to examine infant growth patterns by measuring infant weight gain relative to birth weight. Methods: We conducted this study based on data collected in a prospective cohort study including 3,302 births with follow up examinations of infants between the ages of 8 and 18 months. All infants were participants in the Louisiana State Women, Infant and Children Supplemental Food Program between 1999 and 2001. Growth was assessed by infant weight gain percentage (IWG%, defined as infant weight gain divided by birth weight) as well as by mean z-scores and percentiles for weight-for-age, length-for-age, and weight-for-length calculated based on growth charts published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Results: An inverse relationship was noted between birth weight category and IWG% (from 613.9% for infants with birth weights <1500 g to 151.3% for infants with birth weights of 4000 g or more). In contrast, low birth weight infants had lower weight-for-age, weight-for-length z-scores and percentiles compared to normal birth weight infants according to CDC growth charts. Conclusions: Although low birth weight infants had lower anthropometric measures compared to a national reference population, they had significant catch-up growth; High birth weight infants had significant slow-down growth. We suggest that growth assessments should compare infants’ anthropometric data to their own previous growth measures as well as to a reference population. Further studies are needed to identify optimal ranges of infant weight gain.     

Feeding practices and growth of infants from birth to 12 months in the central region of the Limpopo Province of South Africa

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated feeding practices and growth patterns of infants in the central region of the Limpopo Province over the first 12 mo of life. METHODS: A follow-up study on a cohort of term infants born to 276 mothers recruited during their third trimester of pregnancy was undertaken. The mothers were recruited by the nursing staff at nine randomly selected clinics. From this sample, 219 women gave birth at the local hospital and the infants were followed from birth to 12 mo. Data collected included infant feeding practices and anthropometry at regular intervals (1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 mo). The anthropometric measurements taken were body weight, length, and head circumference. RESULTS: At birth 8.8% of infants had a low birth weight, 9.6% were stunted, 48.9% were underweight, and 7.3% were wasted. Mothers in this study breastfed their infants for long periods with more than 80% still breastfeeding by the ninth month. However, exclusive breastfeeding during the first 3 mo was uncommon as mothers tended to introduce supplementary feeds at an early age, with 56% of the infants receiving some form of supplement by the end of the first month. The most common supplementary foods were maize meal porridge and mabella (sorghum). Stunting became increasingly apparent in the early months with 30% of infants being stunted (<-2 standard deviations [SD] of the National Center for Health Statistics [NCHS] reference curves) by the first month, and this percentage remained high for the 12-mo period, remaining at below - 1 SD NCHS height-for-age standard. Increased weight gain was seen during the first 3 mo and then declined until mean weight-for-age at 12 mo was below 0 SD NCHS. Twelve percent of infants were overweight (>2 SD NCHS) by the 12th month. Postnatally the infants showed a pattern of gradual stunting. Postnatal factors associated with this pattern were related to maternal socioeconomic status, and these included the mother's level of education, employment status, parity, and access to electricity. CONCLUSION: There was a high frequency of underweight infants at birth but stunting was less common. With respect to feeding practices, the mothers tended to introduce supplementary feeds at an early age.     

A longitudinal study of vietnamese children born in Australia: Infant feeding,growth in infancy and after five years

Feeding practices and growth were studied longitudinally from birth to 12 months in a group of Vietnamese infants (25 boys, 23 girls) born in Perth, Western Australia. Weight and height data were recorded for 38 of these children at five years of age. Eighty one per cent of the infants were breast fed on leaving hospital; this rate decreased throughout infancy to 23% at 12 months. The incidence of breast feeding, its duration, and the age at which solids were introduced by immigrant mothers reflected local practices. However, the kinds of solids introduced, and the practice of giving infants extra fluids at a very early age (water, 42% of infants at one week; orange juice, 25% at one month) appear to reflect practices in their country of origin. Median (50th centile) weights of the Vietnamese at birth approximated 10th centile values and median length, between 10th and 25th centile values for Australian (Perth) infants of the same sex. Growth rates in the first three months of life exceeded the rates of Australian infants but subsequently a fall-off in rate of weight gain resulted in the 50th centile weights of the Vietnamese again approximating 10th centile Australian values at 12 months. The data at five years suggest that some small enhancement of growth may have occurred in these children: their 50th centile values for weight at that age fell between the 10th and 25th Australian values, and for height approximated the 25th Australian centiles     

Growth faltering is prevented by breast-feeding in underprivileged infants from Mexico City

This study was designed to test whether breast-feeding protects infants reared in unfavorable environments from growth-stunting by averting acute infections. The body weight and length, feeding mode and morbidity of 170 healthy infants were assessed at 15-d intervals from birth to 6 mo. Birth weight and length were not different between groups, but at 6 mo, breast-fed infants were heavier and tended to be taller (P = 0.1) than infants fed formula. Relative to NCHS values, infants had lower mean birth weights than a sample of American and European BF infants. At 6 mo, the weight of BF infants caught up to the weight of NCHS standards, while infants fed formula fell to around -1 NCHS-Z-score for weight and length. The cumulative 6-mo weight increments were negatively related to the number of episodes of diarrhea, and positively to duration of lactation (P = 0.03, R(2) = 0.17). The 6-mo length gain was negatively related to infections but not to duration of lactation (P = 0.004, R(2) = 0.19). Never-ill infants attained a better weight (P = 0.04) and length (P = 0.02) than infants who suffered one or more episodes of diarrhea. Weight and length gain of infants suffering at least one episode of diarrhea was positively related to breast-feeding and socioeconomic status. Weight increments of 15-d were positively related to breast-feeding and negatively to the introduction of solids. In conclusion, breast-feeding positively affected the growth performance of the recipient infants by averting infections and possibly by improving nutrient intake during infections.     

Factors Associated with Morbidities Among Infants in Three Sub Centre Areas of Belgaum District of South India: A Longitudinal Study

Background:

Health status of infants is a sensitive indicator of development and factors influencing it need to be better understood.

Objectives:

This study was conducted to search for factors associated with morbidity among infants and to find out their influence on weight gain during infancy.

Materials and Methods:

This longitudinal study was undertaken in south India from November 2004 till April 2006. A birth cohort of all children born during first 6 months of the study period were assessed at enrollment and followed up monthly till they attained 1 year of age.

Results:

Incidence of morbidity among infants was found to be least among those exclusively breast fed (EBF) for 6 months and most when EBF for less than 6 months (P = 0.045). It was also more when infants were weaned with a combination of animal milk, formula milk, semi-solids and solid diet and least when weaned only with semi-solids and solids (P = 0.018). Diarrheal episodes were more in infants who were bottle-fed (P < 0.001). Weight gain between 6^th and 12^th month of infancy was found to be significantly affected by various morbidities (P = 0.001). Incidence of morbidities was less among preterm babies and more among partially immunized (P < 0.001) babies with birth order ≥ 3 (P = 0.012), babies of mothers with low socio-economic and educational status. Delayed milestones during infancy was seen more in babies with history of birth asphyxia (P = 0.018).

Conclusion:

Several factors influenced incidence of morbidities and these morbidities had a negative effect on weight gain. Hence these factors need to be addressed to promote better child health.