The growth of healthy Australian infants in relation to infant feeding and social group.

A joint survey of infant-feeding practices and infant growth was carried out in Western Australia and Tasmania in 1984-1985. Birthweights and growth from birth to one year of age were similar in both States and to the international growth references. Infants who were never breast-fed or who were breast-fed for only a short time gained significantly more weight over the year (most of it after the age of three months) than did infants who were breast-fed for six months or longer. Infants from families of a lower socioeconomic group gained more weight after six months of age than did those infants from higher socioeconomic families. Analysis showed that the growth differences between the social groups was a result of differences in feeding practices. Linear growth was similar among infants of all social groups, irrespective of the feeding method.