Background:Early feeding choices may affect long-term health outcomes. Therefore, understanding body composition changes in healthy breastfed infants has become an important research focus.Objectives:The aims of this review were to investigate the body composition changes that occur during weight loss in breastfed term newborns and to examine body composition differences between exclusively/predominantly breastfed and exclusively formula-fed infants in the first 6 months of life.Methods:We performed a review of the existing literature using PubMed. We searched for studies published in English since January 1, 2000, that involved human infants ranging in age from birth to 6 months. We used the following MEDLINE Medical Subject Headings: ((breastfeeding) OR (infant formula)) AND ((body composition) OR (bioelectrical impedance) OR (absorptiometry, photon) OR (total body potassium) OR (isotope dilution) OR (air-displacement plethysmography)). Our search yielded 6 studies.Results:Two studies reported that newborn weight loss was due to a reduction in the quantity of both fat mass and fat-free mass. Three out of 4 articles that evaluated body composition changes according to method of feeding reported no differences in body composition between exclusively/predominantly breastfed and exclusively formula-fed infants in the first 4.5 months of life. One study reported that exclusively breastfed infants at 3 months of age and exclusively breastfed boys at 6 months of age had higher fat mass contents compared to exclusively formula-fed infants.Conclusion:Because of the limited number of studies available, larger studies are needed to clarify the differences in body composition between exclusively/predominantly breastfed and exclusively formula-fed infants.
Body composition changes in the first 6 months of life according to method of feeding / M.L. Giannì, P. Roggero, A. Orsi, P. Piemontese, F. Garbarino, B. Bracco, E. Garavaglia, M. Agosti, F. Mosca. - In: JOURNAL OF HUMAN LACTATION. - ISSN 0890-3344. - 30:2(2014 May), pp. 148-155.
Titolo: | Body composition changes in the first 6 months of life according to method of feeding |
Autori: | MOSCA, FABIO (Ultimo) |
Parole Chiave: | Body composition; Breast milk; Breastfeeding; Full-term infants; Growth |
Settore Scientifico Disciplinare: | Settore MED/38 - Pediatria Generale e Specialistica |
Data di pubblicazione: | mag-2014 |
Rivista: | |
Tipologia: | Article (author) |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI): | http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0890334413516196 |
Appare nelle tipologie: | 01 - Articolo su periodico |