GROWTH OF OLDER INFANTS FED LOW-FAT FORMULA

The purpose of this study was to compare the growth and nutritional st atus of infants fed different diets, some of whom received a low-fat f ormula. Beginning at four to six months of age, 101 infants were fed w hole cow's milk, one of two low-fat follow-up formulas, or a standard infant formula until 12 months of age. Weight, recumbent length, and h ead circumference were measured at one-month intervals. Analyses of st atus (values at an age) for all examinations showed no significant dif ferences among the feeding groups in status for weight or recumbent le ngth, but there were significant differences in head circumference for boys and for girls after adjustments for the initial values. Head cir cumferences were smaller in those fed whole cow's milk and relatively large in those fed follow-up formula, but these differences were small and not of clinical significance. Comparisons with national reference data showed growth in weight, recumbent length, and head circumferenc e was normal regardless of feeding group. These results indicate that, during the second half year of infancy, the use of lower fat concentr ations in the follow-up formulas did not retard growth in weight, recu mbent length, or head circumference.