Energy intake from human milk covers the requirement of 6-month-old Senegalese exclusively breast-fed infants

Exclusive breast-feeding until 6 months is advised by the WHO as the best practice to feed infants. Yet, some studies have suggested a gap between energy requirements and the energy provided by human milk for many infants at 6 months. In order to assess the adequacy of WHO recommendations in 6-month-old Senegalese lactating infants, a comprehensive study was designed to measure human milk intake by the dose-to-the mother2H2O turnover method. Infants' energy intakes were calculated using daily breast milk intake and the energy content of milk was estimated on the basis of creamatocrit. Of the fifty-nine mother–infant pairs enrolled, fifteen infants were exclusively breast-fed (Ex) while forty-four were partially breast-fed (Part). Infants' breast milk intake was significantly higher in the Ex group (993 (sd135) g/d,n15) compared with the Part group (828 (sd222) g/d,n44,P= 0·009). Breast milk energy content as well as infants' growth was comparable in both groups. However, infants' energy intake from human milk was significantly higher (364 (sd50) kJ/kg per d (2586 (sd448) kJ/d)) in the Ex group than in the Part group (289 (sd66) kJ/kg per d (2150 (sd552) kJ/d),P