THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INFANTS PRECEDING APPETITE, ILLNESS, AND GROWTH-PERFORMANCE AND MOTHERS SUBSEQUENT FEEDING PRACTICE DECISIONS

Data from a longitudinal study of 153 low-income Peruvian infants were used to examine (i) whether infant characteristics such as appetite, illness and past growth performance are related to subsequent changes in their feeding practices (e.g. addition of non-human milks, solid fo ods, weaning), and (ii) whether this relationship depends on maternal characteristics such as feeding exposure and experience (MFEE). With o ne exception, infants were breastfed from birth. Feeding practices dur ing the first month of life were related to practices throughout infan cy. Most mothers changed their practices once (61%) or twice (34%) fro m birth to 6 months. Low weight gains from 1 to 2 (P < 0.003) and 2 to 3 (P < 0.04) months were identified as significant predictors of feed ing changes during the following months, using logistic regression mod els that also adjusted for MFEE, infant gender, previous practice, and previous practice change. The interaction between past weight gain an d MFEE (objective ii) was not statistically significant in the logisti c regression models. However, when analyzed separately, the relationsh ips between low weight gains and subsequent feeding changes were obser ved for high but not low MFEE mothers. The prevalences of anorexia and infection (diarrhea, respiratory, and/or fever), and poor length gain during the previous month were not related to subsequent changes in f eeding practices. These results suggest that poor growth influences fe eding practices from 2 to 4 months, when exclusive breastfeeding is re commended.