Infant-feeding practices and adiposity in 4-y-old Anglo- and Mexican-Americans.
A longer duration of breast-feeding and later introduction to solids may protect against excessive adiposity in infancy. This study investigated infant feeding practices and their relationship to two measures of adiposity--body mass index (BMI) and sum of skinfold thicknesses (SUMSF)--in 331 4-y-old Anglo- (43%) and Mexican-American (57%) children. No associations were detected between any of the infant feeding variables of duration of breast-feeding and introduction to solids and formula and measures of the child's adiposity. Mother's physical measures of BMI and SUMSF explained the largest portion of variance for both measures of childhood adiposity, BMI (9.5%), and SUMSF (8.3%). Genetic and environmental factors other than infant feeding practices appear to have a greater influence on a 4-y-olds' adiposity.
Zive
M M
MM
University of California, San Diego, Department of Pediatrics, La Jolla 92093-0927.
McKay
H
H
Frank-Spohrer
G C
GC
Broyles
S L
SL
Nelson
J A
JA
Nader
P R
PR
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D001903:Bottle Feeding; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000208:ethnology; D002140:California; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans; D009035:Mothers; D009765:Obesity / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012737:Sex Factors; D012923:Social Class; D014886:Weaning