Supplemental Feeding in the First Days of Life – Effects on the Recipient Infant

• Published in: Annals of nutrition and metabolism Vol. 46; no. 2; pp. 62 - 67
• Main Authors: Sievers, Erika, Clausen, Uta, Oldigs, Hans-Dieter, Schaub, Jürgen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel, Switzerland S. Karger AG 2002; Karger
• Subjects: Babies; Biological and medical sciences; Birth weight; Bottle Feeding; Breast Feeding; Breastfeeding & lactation; Delivery. Postpartum. Lactation; Dietary Supplements; Energy; Energy Intake - physiology; Feeding; Feeding Behavior; Female; Glucose; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Hypoglycemia; Infant; Infant Food; Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Infant, Newborn - growth & development; Infant, Newborn - physiology; Infants; Jaundice, Neonatal - epidemiology; Jaundice, Neonatal - prevention & control; Light therapy; Male; Maternal, fetal and perinatal monitoring; Medical sciences; Milk, Human; Newborn babies; Original Paper; Time Factors; Weight Gain - physiology; Europe; Germany; Breast-feeding; Infants; Hyperbilirubinemia; Weight gain; Supplements; Human; Supplemented diet; Breast feeding; Growth curve; Newborn; Postnatal; Mother; Carbohydrate; Supplementation; Somatic growth; Comparative study; Public health
• ISSN: 0250-6807; 1421-9697
• DOI: 10.1159/000057642

Aim: Since clinical indications may necessitate the feeding of supplements to newborn infants, the effects of different supplemental feedings on the recipient infants were studied. Methods: Two groups of healthy, term newborn infants (n = 64 in each group) were investigated. The mothers breast-fed their infants, and by indication the babies were additionally fed supplement A (supplementary neonatal formula, 78 kcal/dl) or the traditionally used supplement B (glucosaccharide solution, 100 kcal/dl). The differences in volume and energy intake, weight development and rate of hyperbilirubinemia were assessed in the hospital. The frequency of breast-feeding was evaluated using a structured telephone interview at the ages of 4 and 8 weeks. Results: The energy intake of group B was higher prior to the 3rd day of study (p < 0.05). Afterwards a higher mean intake of human milk, a faster weight gain but a lower frequency of exclusive breast-feeding at discharge were observed in study group A. Hyperbilirubinemia was more frequent in the group B. Fifty-five percent (group A) and 52% (group B) of the participants were exclusively breast-fed at the age of 8 weeks. Conclusions: Despite differences in milk intake and weight gain in the early postpartum period, the breast-feeding patterns at 4 and 8 weeks were not significantly influenced by the use of different supplements.