title: Specific infant feeding practices do not consistently explain variation in anthropometry at age 1 year in urban United States, Mexico, and China cohorts.
abstract: Infant feeding practices generally influence infant growth, but it is unclear how introduction of specific foods affects growth across global populations. We studied 3 urban populations in the Global Exploration of Human Milk study to determine the association between infant feeding and anthropometry at 1 y of age. Three hundred sixty-five breastfeeding mother-infant pairs (120 US, 120 China, and 125 Mexico) were recruited soon after the infant's birth. Enrollment required agreement to breastfeed ≥75% for at least 3 mo. Weekly, 24-h, food frequency data were conducted on infants for 1 y and exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) duration and timing of specific complementary food introduction were calculated. Weight and length were measured at age 1 y and anthropometry Z-scores calculated using WHO standards. Cohorts in the 3 urban populations (Shanghai, China; Cincinnati, USA; and Mexico City, Mexico) differed by median EBF duration (5, 14, and 7 wk, respectively; P < 0.001), timing of introduction of meat/eggs/legumes (4.8, 9.3, and 7.0 mo, respectively; P < 0.0001), and other feeding practices. By age 1 y, infants in Shanghai were heavier and longer than Cincinnati and Mexico City infants (P < 0.001). Adjusting for nonfeeding covariates, the only feeding variable associated with anthropometry was EBF duration, which was modestly inversely associated with weight-for-age but not length-for-age or BMI Z-scores at 1 y. Although feeding variables differed by cohort, their impact on anthropometry differences was not consistent among cohorts. Overall, across these urban, international, breast-fed cohorts, differences in specific feeding practices did not explain the significant variation in anthropometry.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA. Jessica.woo@cchmc.org
authors.forename: Jessica G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: M Lourdes
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Guerrero
authors.forename: Guillermo M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Palacios
authors.forename: Yong-mei
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Patricia M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Herbers
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Hilda
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ortega
authors.forename: Barbara S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: McMahon
authors.forename: Ardythe L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Morrow
mesh_terms: D001827:Body Height / Q000208:ethnology; D001835:Body Weight / Q000208:ethnology; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000208:ethnology; D002657:Child Development; D002681:China; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000208:ethnology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D009820:Ohio; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013997:Time Factors; D014504:Urban Health / Q000208:ethnology