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  • Title: Breast-fed infants' growth charts.
    Journal: Indian Med Trib; 1996 Jun 15; 4(11):3. PubMed ID: 12179201.
    Abstract:
    This news article discusses a new report by the World Health Organization (WHO) on the dangers of using growth charts for assessing the physical development of breast-fed babies. Breast-fed babies grow at a different rate from formula-fed babies during the first year. Breast-fed babies during the first 2 months of life gain more in length and weight and then grow less rapidly during the first 3-12 months. Many women are incorrectly told that the decline in growth at 2 months means that their breast milk is inadequate. Women incorrectly begin supplementation with formula or solid foods. The WHO study based its findings on an analysis of growth records of 453 breast-fed infants. 226 infants grew more rapidly during the first 2 months and then less rapidly through the first year than the WHO and US Centers for Disease Control growth charts. Infants were leaner at the end of the year. During the second year and by the age of 3, breast-fed infants' growth was comparable to formula-fed infants' growth. WHO is in the process of preparing new growth charts. The WHO authors recommended that in the meantime parents and doctors can assess whether the infant is happy and alert, whether the infant appears to be satisfied with nutritional intake, and whether the infant is developing normally. Any stop to a gain in height or weight should be recognized as a sign to look further into the reasons why but should not be the only reason to recommend a stop to breast feeding.
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