Galler J R, Ramsey F C, Harrison R H, Brooks R, Weiskopf-Bock S
Center for Behavioral Development and Mental Retardation, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
J Nutr. 1998 Aug;128(8):1328-35. doi: 10.1093/jn/128.8.1328.
This longitudinal study was designed to examine reciprocal relationships between feeding practices and infant growth over the first 6 mo of life. The following three hypotheses were tested: 1) early feeding practices predict later infant growth; 2) early infant growth predicts later feeding practices; and 3) these relationships occur after controlling for related background variables. The sample included 226 healthy, well-nourished infants born at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Bridgetown, Barbados. Assessments were made at birth, 7 wk, and 3 and 6 mo of age. Factor analysis of a feeding practices questionnaire for those mothers who attended all three postnatal visits yielded five uncorrelated factors. Three of these factors, preference for breast-feeding, feeding intensity and feeding difficulty, declined with infant age. Two of these factors, father helps and relatives help, increased with infant age. Several background variables, including maternal age, anthropometry and reproductive history, and reliance on outside sources of information were correlated with infant growth. Multivariate analyses confirmed all three hypotheses. The group of feeding practices (particularly the preference for breast-feeding) at 7 wk predicted increases in infant lengths at subsequent ages. Conversely, infant weights at 3 and 6 mo predicted subsequent feeding practices, especially feeding intensity. These reciprocal relationships remained even after statistically controlling for the influence of the background variables. Implications for public policy include the need for comprehensive programs advocating breast-feeding and supporting the general health of mothers and infants.
这项纵向研究旨在探讨出生后头6个月内喂养方式与婴儿生长之间的相互关系。我们检验了以下三个假设：1）早期喂养方式可预测后期婴儿生长；2）早期婴儿生长可预测后期喂养方式；3）在控制相关背景变量后会出现这些关系。样本包括226名在巴巴多斯布里奇敦伊丽莎白女王医院出生的健康、营养良好的婴儿。在出生时、7周龄、3个月龄和6个月龄时进行评估。对参加了所有三次产后访视的母亲的喂养方式问卷进行因子分析，得出五个不相关的因子。其中三个因子，即母乳喂养偏好、喂养强度和喂养困难程度，随婴儿年龄增长而下降。另外两个因子，即父亲协助和亲属协助，随婴儿年龄增长而增加。几个背景变量，包括母亲年龄、人体测量学和生育史，以及对外部信息来源的依赖程度，都与婴儿生长相关。多变量分析证实了所有三个假设。7周龄时的喂养方式组（特别是母乳喂养偏好）可预测随后各年龄段婴儿身长的增加。相反，3个月龄和6个月龄时的婴儿体重可预测随后的喂养方式，尤其是喂养强度。即使在对背景变量的影响进行统计学控制之后，这些相互关系依然存在。对公共政策的启示包括需要制定全面的项目来提倡母乳喂养并支持母婴的总体健康。
