Associations Between Dietary Energy Density in Mothers and Growth of Breastfeeding Infants During the First 4 Months of Life

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Despite the overwhelming impact of dietary energy density on the quality of the entire diet, no research has investigated dietary energy density among lactating mothers. Hence, the present study was undertaken to assess the influence of maternal dietary energy density during lactation on infant growth. METHOD: Three hundred healthy lactating mother-infant pairs were enrolled in the study. Detailed demographic information and dietary intake data were collected from the lactating mothers. Anthropometric features such as infant weight, height, and head circumference at birth and 2 and 4 months and mother's pregnancy and postpartum weight and height were derived from health center records. Data on physical activity were reported using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. RESULTS: After adjusting for confounding variables, infant weight, length, weight-for-height, and head circumference at birth, 2 months, and 4 months did not show significant differences among four dietary energy density categories (all p values > 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed no association among quartiles of dietary energy density among lactating mothers and infant weight, length, weight-for-height, and head circumference growth by 2 and 4 months of age.