Growth of breast fed and bottle fed infants.

One hundred and sixty-seven infants were measured at birth, then monthly until four or five months of age. Growth in weight, length, occipito-frontal circumference and three skinfold measurements, and the velocities of these parameters, were compared between breast fed and bottle fed infants. Although bottle fed female infants tended to gain more weight and have greater skinfold measurements than female breast fed infants the difference was not significant. This trend was not evident in males. The proportion of the total population breast fed declined from 78 percent at birth to 43 percent at five months. Solid food was introduced significantly earlier to bottle fed infants. Breast fed babies were significantly more likely to come from a higher socio-economic group, to have a married mother, and to have a mother in the 20-29 year age group.