title: Milk intake and frequency of feeding in breast fed infants.
abstract: To provide normative data for healthy full term infants in the United States when the mothers were encouraged to feed as often and as long as the infants wished, 46 mother-infant pairs were studied in the first month after delivery. Mothers recorded the length and time of each breast-feeding for the first 14 days postpartum, and weighed the infant before and after each feeding during a 24-48 h period at 1 month. The mean frequency of feeding during the first 2 weeks of life was 9.8 +/- 2.5 feeds/24 h and the mean duration of feeding was 162 +/- 50 min/24 h. Infants heavier at birth demanded significantly more feedings and nursed longer during the first 14 days of life. At one month the infants were nursing an average of 7.2 +/- 1.3 times/24 h and the mean duration of feeds was 158 +/- 63 min/24 h. Although the frequency of feeding during the first 14 days postpartum was significantly higher than at 1 month, the total duration of feeding in 24 h was similar. Daily milk intakes at 1 month ranged from 395 to 1011 ml (mean 681 +/- 136 ml) and were not significantly correlated with either the frequency or duration of feedings.
mesh_terms: D001835:Body Weight; D001940:Breast / Q000378:metabolism*; D001942:Breast Feeding; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007774:Lactation; D008297:Male; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors