PEDIATRICS Vol. 89 No. 6 June 1992, pp. 1035-1041
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow P3Rs: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when P3Rs are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Dewey, K. G.
Right arrow Articles by Lönnerdal, B.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Dewey, K. G.
Right arrow Articles by Lönnerdal, B.

Growth of Breast-Fed and Formula-Fed Infants From 0 to 18 Months: The DARLING Study

Kathryn G. Dewey PhD1, M. Jane Heinig MS1, Laurie A. Nommsen MS1, Janet M. Peerson MS1, and Bo Lönnerdal PhD1

1 From the Department of Nutrition and Program in International Nutrition, University of California, Davis

Anthropometric data were collected monthly from birth to 18 months as part of the Davis Area Research on Lactation, Infant Nutrition and Growth study, which followed infants who were either breast-fed or formula-fed during the first 12 months. The two cohorts were matched for parental socioeconomic status, education, ethnic group, and anthropometric characteristics and for infant sex and birth weight, and neither group was given solid foods before 4 months. While mean weight of formula-fed infants remained at or above the National Center for Health Statistics median throughout the first 18 months, mean weight of breast-fed infants dropped below the median beginning at 6 to 8 months and was significantly lower than that of the formula-fed group between 6 and 18 months. In contrast, length and head circumference values were similar between groups. Weight-for-length z scores were significantly different between 4 and 18 months, suggesting that breast-fed infants were leaner. The groups had similar weight gain during the first 3 months, but breast-fed infants gained less rapidly during the remainder of the first year: cumulative weight gain in the first 12 months was 0.65 kg less in the breast-fed group. Length gain was similar between groups. These results indicate that weight patterns of breast-fed infants, even in a population of high socioeconomic status, differ from current reference data and from those of formula-fed infants. Thus, new growth charts based on breast-fed infants are needed.

Key Words: breast-feeding • formula-feeding • infant-feeding practices • growth • weight • length • anthropometry

Submitted on July 10, 1991
Accepted on September 13, 1991




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 JPEN J Parenter Enteral NutrHome page
A. Nash, D. Secker, M. Corey, M. Dunn, and D. L. O'Connor
Field Testing of the 2006 World Health Organization Growth Charts From Birth to 2 Years: Assessment of Hospital Undernutrition and Overnutrition Rates and the Usefulness of BMI
JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr, March 1, 2008; 32(2): 145 - 153.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. Clin. Nutr.Home page
N. Karaolis-Danckert, A. L. Gunther, A. Kroke, C. Hornberg, and A. E Buyken
How early dietary factors modify the effect of rapid weight gain in infancy on subsequent body-composition development in term children whose birth weight was appropriate for gestational age
Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, December 1, 2007; 86(6): 1700 - 1708.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J Hum LactHome page
P. J. Martens and L. Romphf
Factors Associated With Newborn In-Hospital Weight Loss: Comparisons by Feeding Method, Demographics, and Birthing Procedures
J Hum Lact, August 1, 2007; 23(3): 233 - 241.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 Diabetes CareHome page
E. P. Gunderson
Breastfeeding After Gestational Diabetes Pregnancy: Subsequent obesity and type 2 diabetes in women and their offspring
Diabetes Care, July 1, 2007; 30(Supplement_2): S161 - S168.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. Clin. Nutr.Home page
M J. Heinig, K. H Brown, B. Lonnerdal, and K. G Dewey
Zinc supplementation does not affect growth, morbidity, or motor development of US term breastfed infants at 4-10 mo of age.
Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, September 1, 2006; 84(3): 594 - 601.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Arch Pediatr Adolesc MedHome page
A. K. Anderson, G. Damio, S. Young, D. J. Chapman, and R. Perez-Escamilla
A Randomized Trial Assessing the Efficacy of Peer Counseling on Exclusive Breastfeeding in a Predominantly Latina Low-Income Community
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, September 1, 2005; 159(9): 836 - 841.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Diabetes CareHome page
L. Touger, H. C. Looker, J. Krakoff, R. S. Lindsay, V. Cook, and W. C. Knowler
Early Growth in Offspring of Diabetic Mothers
Diabetes Care, March 1, 2005; 28(3): 585 - 589.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. Public HealthHome page
W. H. Oddy, J. L. Sherriff, N. H. de Klerk, G. E. Kendall, P. D. Sly, L. J. Beilin, K. B. Blake, L. I. Landau, and F. J. Stanley
The Relation of Breastfeeding and Body Mass Index to Asthma and Atopy in Children: A Prospective Cohort Study to Age 6 Years
Am J Public Health, September 1, 2004; 94(9): 1531 - 1537.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. Clin. Nutr.Home page
C. Hoppe, T. Rovenna Udam, L. Lauritzen, C. Molgaard, A. Juul, and K. Fleischer Michaelsen
Animal protein intake, serum insulin-like growth factor I, and growth in healthy 2.5-y-old Danish children
Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, August 1, 2004; 80(2): 447 - 452.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. Clin. Nutr.Home page
C. Hoppe, C. Molgaard, B. L. Thomsen, A. Juul, and K. F. Michaelsen
Protein intake at 9 mo of age is associated with body size but not with body fat in 10-y-old Danish children
Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, March 1, 2004; 79(3): 494 - 501.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 PediatricsHome page
S. J. Fomon
Assessment of Growth of Formula-Fed Infants: Evolutionary Considerations
Pediatrics, February 1, 2004; 113(2): 389 - 393.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 BMJHome page
C. M Campbell, K. Becker, G. Fruhbeck, A. Diez-Caballero, J. Gomez-Ambrosi, J. A Cienfuegos, and J. Salvador
Preventing obesity
BMJ, January 11, 2003; 326(7380): 102 - 102.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 PediatricsHome page
M. S. Kramer, T. Guo, R. W. Platt, S. Shapiro, J.-P. Collet, B. Chalmers, E. Hodnett, Z. Sevkovskaya, I. Dzikovich, and I. Vanilovich
Breastfeeding and Infant Growth: Biology or Bias?
Pediatrics, August 1, 2002; 110(2): 343 - 347.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J Hum LactHome page
K. M. Buckley
Long-Term Breastfeeding: Nourishment or Nurturance?
J Hum Lact, November 1, 2001; 17(4): 304 - 312.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 PediatricsHome page
R. A. Gibson and M. Makrides
More Research is Needed to Determine the Effects of Human Milk on Neonatal Outcome
Pediatrics, August 1, 2001; 108(2): 465 - 465.
[Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 PediatricsHome page
N. F. Butte, W. W. Wong, J. M. Hopkinson, E. O'B. Smith, and K. J. Ellis
Infant Feeding Mode Affects Early Growth and Body Composition
Pediatrics, December 1, 2000; 106(6): 1355 - 1366.
[Abstract] [Full Text]

Home page
 Am. J. Clin. Nutr.Home page
C. Agostoni, E. Riva, S. Scaglioni, F. Marangoni, G. Radaelli, and M. Giovannini
Dietary fats and cholesterol in Italian infants and children
Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, November 1, 2000; 72 (5): 1384S - 1391S.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. Clin. Nutr.Home page
S. E Arifeen, R. E Black, L. E Caulfield, G. Antelman, A. H Baqui, Q. Nahar, S. Alamgir, and H. Mahmud
Infant growth patterns in the slums of Dhaka in relation to birth weight, intrauterine growth retardation, and prematurity
Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, October 1, 2000; 72(4): 1010 - 1017.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Am. J. Clin. Nutr.Home page
B. Lonnerdal and P. J Havel
Serum leptin concentrations in infants: effects of diet, sex, and adiposity
Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, August 1, 2000; 72(2): 484 - 489.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 BMJHome page
C. Campbell, R. Viner, R. Bryant-Waugh, D. Nicholls, D. Christie, C. Guthrie, J. Carter, A. Lyons, V. Vlassov, and G. Frühbeck
Childhood obesity
BMJ, May 20, 2000; 320(7246): 1401 - 1401.
[Full Text]

Home page
 J. Nutr.Home page
S. Villalpando and M. López-Alarcón
Growth Faltering Is Prevented by Breast-Feeding in Underprivileged Infants from Mexico City
J. Nutr., March 1, 2000; 130(3): 546 - 552.
[Abstract] [Full Text]

Home page
 Am. J. Clin. Nutr.Home page
M. Makrides, M. A Neumann, B. Jeffrey, E. L Lien, and R. A Gibson
A randomized trial of different ratios of linoleic to {alpha}-linolenic acid in the diet of term infants: effects on visual function and growth1
Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, January 1, 2000; 71(1): 120 - 129.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Arch. Dis. Child.Home page
C Agostoni, F Grandi, M L Gianni, M Silano, M Torcoletti, M Giovannini, and E Riva
Growth patterns of breast fed and formula fed infants in the first 12 months of life: an Italian study
Arch. Dis. Child., November 1, 1999; 81(5): 395 - 399.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 PediatricsHome page
M. Makrides, M. A. Neumann, K. Simmer, and R. A. Gibson
Dietary Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Do Not Influence Growth of Term Infants: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Pediatrics, September 1, 1999; 104(3): 468 - 475.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Arch Pediatr Adolesc MedHome page
L. D. Hammer, S. Bryson, and W. S. Agras
Development of Feeding Practices During the First 5 Years of Life
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, February 1, 1999; 153(2): 189 - 194.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J Hum LactHome page
E. Albernaz, E. R. J. Giugliani, and C. G. Victora
Supporting Breastfeeding: A Successful Experience
J Hum Lact, December 1, 1998; 14(4): 283 - 285.
[PDF]

Home page
 Arch. Dis. Child.Home page
C Agostoni, G V Zuccotti, M Giovannini, S Decarlis, M L Giannì, E Piacentini, E D'Auria, and E Riva
Growth in the first two years of uninfected children born to HIV-1 seropositive mothers
Arch. Dis. Child., August 1, 1998; 79(2): 175 - 178.
[Abstract] [Full Text]

Home page
 J. Nutr.Home page
C. G. Victora, S. S. Morris, F. C. Barros, M. de Onis, and R. Yip
The NCHS Reference and the Growth of Breast- and Bottle-Fed Infants
J. Nutr., July 1, 1998; 128(7): 1134 - 1138.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J Hum LactHome page
K. G. Dewey
Growth Patterns of Breastfed Infants and the Current Status of Growth Charts for Infants
J Hum Lact, June 1, 1998; 14(2): 89 - 92.
[PDF]

Home page
 Arch Pediatr Adolesc MedHome page
Z. Mei, R. Yip, L. M. Grummer-Strawn, and F. L. Trowbridge
Development of a Research Child Growth Reference and Its Comparison With the Current International Growth Reference
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, May 1, 1998; 152(5): 471 - 479.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 JWatch GeneralHome page
GROWTH IN BREAST-FED VS. FORMULA-FED BABIES
Journal Watch (General), June 26, 1992; 1992(626): 3 - 3.
[Full Text]