Infant Feeding Practices and Weight-for-Age at 12 Months: Results From the Infant Feeding Practices Study II

Background: Early childhood obesity is a growing public health concern. Current infant feeding practice guidelines call for 1) no bottle-to-bed, 2) ) minimal juice consumption, 3) exclusive breastfeeding up to 4-6 months with continued breastfeeding up to one year, and 4) introduction of solid foods no earlier than 4-6 months infant age. However, associations between these recommended practices and weight-for-age in late infancy remain to be identified. Study Question: To what extent are bottle-to-bed behavior, late infancy juice consumption intensity, late infancy breastfeeding intensity, and early introduction to solid foods associated with weight-for-age among one year old infants?