Maternal fish consumption in the nutrition transition of the Amazon Basin: growth of exclusively breastfed infants during the first 5 years.
BACKGROUND
Changes in fish-eating habits due to rapid urbanization in Western Amazon was used as model to investigate whether maternal fish-intake rate impacts on children's weight and height during the first 5 years.


OBJECTIVE
The study examined the growth of 82 breastfed children, and maternal fish consumption (hair mercury concentrations, HHg) during pregnancy and lactation.


METHODS
Fish consumption in mothers and children was estimated through HHg. The children were measured and weighed at birth and at 6 (exclusive breastfeeding), 36 and 60 months.


RESULTS
Fish consumption rate (HHg) had no significant impact on children's growth at the specified ages (p = 0.35). After 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding, children had the highest proportion of Z-scores <-1 SD; however, weaning (with extended breastfeeding) had a substantial impact in moving up the attained growth at 3 years. The duration of breastfeeding was significantly correlated with attained Z-scores for weight-for-age (r = 0.26; p = 0.02) and weight-for-height (r = 0.22; p = 0.04) but not for height-for-age. At 3 years most children had improved Z-scores (>-1 SD) for height-for-age (70/82), weight-for-age (74/82) and weight-for-height (74/82). At 5 years, all but one child attained Z-scores >-1.


CONCLUSIONS
The apparently good nutritional status of subjects is more likely due to a well balanced diet composition than to only one dietary protein source--fish.
Marques
Rejane C
RC
Universidade Federal de Rondonia, Nursing, Porto Velho, Brazil.
Dórea
José Garrofe
JG
Bernardi
José V E
JV
Bastos
Wanderley R
WR
Malm
Olaf
O
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001827:Body Height; D001938:Brazil; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005399:Fishes; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009035:Mothers; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012922:Social Change
D004044:Dietary Proteins