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. 2023 Dec;12(12):3249-3253.
doi: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_694_23. Epub 2023 Dec 21.

Breastfeeding pattern and its relationship with weight gain in children older than 6 months

Shahla V Esfarjani  1 , Saeid Alaei  2 , Azadeh Saki  3
Affiliations

Breastfeeding pattern and its relationship with weight gain in children older than 6 months

Shahla V Esfarjani et al. J Family Med Prim Care. 2023 Dec.

Abstract

Introduction: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), breastfeeding is the best way to feed infants. Adoption of some inappropriate nutritional patterns along with breast milk, especially in infants older than 6 months, may lead to a delay in the child's growth. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between breastfeeding and weight gain in children aged 6-24 months.

Materials and methods: This case-control study was conducted on 120 infants aged 6-24 months and their mothers recruited from health centers of Ahvaz, southwest of Iran. The data collection tool in the present study included a questionnaire to record demographic information and information in the child's medical records in health centers. Statistical analysis of the data was done by SPSS 23 using the Chi-square test and t-test.

Results: No significant difference was observed between the control and case groups in terms of the infant's age (P = 0.741) and gender (P = 0.564) and the mothers' age (P = 0.614), her educational attainment (P = 0.389), and socioeconomic status of the infant's family (P = 0.563). The type of delivery (P = 0.650), mothers' opinion (P = 0.133), and the interval between breastfeeding and complementary feeding (P = 0.144) had no significant relationship with the infant's growth disorder. On the other hand, duration of breastfeeding per meal (P = 0.007) and frequent breastfeeding (dependency on the mother's breast) (P = 0.049) had a significant relationship with children's developmental disorders.

Conclusion: According to the results of the present study, growth disorders in infants in the case group could be attributed to their mothers' inappropriate breastfeeding patterns.

Keywords: Breastfeeding; breastfeeding pattern; frequent breastfeeding; infants aged 6–24 months.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

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