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RJ Cohen and associates published a study in 1995 that
evaluated the growth of breast-fed infants
born to poor, low-income Honduran women (
Cohen, 1995
).
Characteristics of the study
- Infants were breast-fed for the first twelve months of life.
- Solid foods were started at four to six months.
- About twenty percent of the Honduran
babies weighed less than 2500 grams at birth. (SGA)
- Weights were compared to the breast-fed infants
in the DARLING study.
Results
| Measure |
Honduran women/infants |
DARLING Study women/infants |
| Average maternal height |
153 cm (60 inches) |
165 cm (65 inches) |
| Average birth weight |
2889 gm |
3611 gm |
| Average weight gain (birth to 3 months) |
~ 1300 gm |
~ 660 gm |
| Average weight gain(4 to 9 months) |
~ 2300 gm |
~ 2300 gm |
| Average weight gain (9 to 12 months) |
492 gm |
720 gm |
- In the first three months of life the Honduran infants
gained twice as much weight as the infants in the DARLING
study. At age 2 to 3 months the two groups of infants
had similar mean weights.
The length of the Honduran infants was significantly
lower from four to twelve months.
Honduran infants who were SGA (birth weight < 2500 gm) never
caught up to weight and length of normal Honduran infants
and remained smaller.
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