1. Nighttime Feeding: Its Prevalence and Association With Daily Calorie Intake Among Infants.
- Author
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Dharod, Jigna, McElhenny, Kristen, Nunnery, Danielle, and Roy, Manan
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FOOD consumption , *CONFERENCES & conventions , *INFANT nutrition , *FOOD habits , *TIME , *WEIGHT gain - Abstract
Feeding patterns affect daily calorie intake and weight gain among infants. Understanding what feeding patterns lead to excess calorie intake and rapid weight gain in infancy can help establish interventions. To understand daily feeding patterns and prevalence of night-time feeding (10pm to 5am), and examine the inter-relationship between feeding pattern, daily calorie intake and weight gain among racially/ethnically diverse group of infants between 6 and 12 months of age. Mother-infant dyads were recruited from a local pediatric clinic mainly serving families receiving Medicaid. Interviews and 24-hour feeding recalls were conducted in English or Spanish with mothers when infants were 6, 9 and 12 months of age. Infant's length and weight measurements were retrieved from the clinic records to estimate growth rate and weight status for each time point. Summary statistics were used to describe socio-demographics, night-time feeding, distribution of calories throughout the day, total calories and macronutrient intake, and weight status for infants. T-tests and chi-square tests were conducted using statistical significance at p <.05. A majority of the participants (>70%) were either African American or Latino by origin and approximately 80% were participating in the WIC program. About two-third of the infants (64%) were fed at least once between 10pm and 5am at 9 months of age. Breastmilk or formula feeding was more common in night-time feeding. Specifically, formula feeding at night-time was associated with increased calorie intake among infants (p <.05). In 24-h feeding pattern, calorie intake peaked during afternoon period for infants at 9 months of age. Preliminary analyses indicated that frequent feeding increased the risk for excess calorie intake and higher weight gain among infants. Feeding pattern involving frequent day and night-time feeding can increase the risk for excess calorie intake among infants. Better understanding on how feeding pattern affects daily calorie intake among infants can help develop effective feeding interventions that can help reduce obesity risk during infancy. NIH [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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