FEEDING PRACTICES AND GROWTH AMONG LOW-INCOME PERUVIAN INFANTS - A COMPARISON OF INTERNATIONALLY-RECOMMENDED DEFINITIONS

Background. Data from a longitudinal study of 153 low-income Peruvian infants were used to assess the relationship between internationally-r ecommended definitions of feeding practices and infants' monthly weigh t gain and weight status at 12 months. Methods. infants were classifie d into feeding categories using monthly reported data. Analysis of var iance was used to assess the relationship between reported usual feedi ng practices and growth. Reported breastfeeding practices were compare d to observed breastfeeding practices and to weighed breast milk intak es to determine the validity of recommended breastfeeding definitions. Results. Breastfed infants who consumed non-human milks during the fi rst month of life gained less weight during that month (P<0.002) than exclusively and predominantly breastfed infants, Reported daily nursin g frequency was associated with observed nursing frequency and breast milk energy intake (P<0.05) for infants <9 months old. Patterns of gro wth varied according to early diets. Infants who consumed breast milk and non-human milks and those who were fully weaned by 4 months were m ore likely to be underweight at 12 months than other infants. Infants classified as token breastfeeders (less than or equal to 3 times/24 ho urs) from 0 to 120 days had monthly gains that were similar to those o f fully weaned infants. Conclusions. Infant feeding definitions should 1) continue to differentiate exclusively breastfed infants from other infants who are almost exclusively or predominantly breastfed; 2) dis tinguish partially breastfed infants who consume only nonhuman milks f rom those who also consume solid foods; and 3) distinguish partially b reast-fed infants according to their breastfeeding frequency or the % of their total daily energy that comes from breast milk.