학술논문

Determinants of the mean growth rate of children under the age of six months: a cohort study
Document Type
Ensayo
Source
Ciência & Saúde Coletiva. August, 2017, Vol. 22 Issue 8, p2713, 14 p.
Subject
Estados Unidos
Language
Spanish; Castilian
ISSN
1413-8123
Abstract
Introduction Child growth is influenced by maternal, environmental, genetic and hormonal factors (1). Proper infant nutrition is one of the most important factors for growth, maturation and maintenance of bodily [...]
This study aimed to investigate some factors that contributed to higher or lower growth rate of children up to the sixth month of life. This is a cohort study with 240 children evaluated in four stages. Variables of birth, eating habits of the child, mothers' breast-feeding difficulty and pacifier use were investigated. Children's weight gain rate (grams/day) and size gain (cm/month) were measured in all assessments and compared according to the variables of interest. In the first month, weight gain rate of children born by cesarean section was smaller. By the second month, the growth rate (weight and size gain) was higher among children who were exclusively or predominantly breastfed and lower among those who consumed infant formula. Children of mothers who reported difficulty to breastfeed showed a lower growth rate until the second month. Children age four months who consumed porridge had lower weight and size gain rate. Pacifier use was associated with lower weight gain rates up the first, second and fourth month. Key words Weight gain, Growth, Breastfeeding, Infant