Effects of common illnesses on infants’ energy intakes from breast milk and other foods during longitudinal community-based studies in Huascar (Lima), Peru

• Published in: The American journal of clinical nutrition Vol. 52; no. 6; pp. 1005 - 1013
• Main Authors: Brown, KH, Stallings, RY, de Kanashiro, HC, Lopez de Romaña, G, Black, RE
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD Elsevier Inc 01.12.1990; American Society for Clinical Nutrition
• Subjects: absorcion de substancias nutritivas; absorption de substances nutritives; Age Factors; alimentation au sein; Americas; Analysis of Variance; Anthropometry; bebes; Biological and medical sciences; Breast Feeding; calorific value; Data Analysis; Data Collection; Demographic Factors; Developing Countries; diarrea; Diarrhea; Diarrhea - physiopathology; Diarrhea, Infantile; diarrhee; diarrhoea; Diseases; Eating; Energy Intake; enfant en bas age; Fever - physiopathology; Health; human milk; Human physiology applied to population studies and life conditions. Human ecophysiology; Humans; Infant; Infant Food; Infant Nutrition; infants; Infection - physiopathology; Infections; lactancia materna; lait humain; Latin America; leche humana; Longitudinal Studies; malnutricion; malnutrition; Measurement; Medical sciences; Milk, Human; Models, Statistical; Models, Theoretical; Morbidity; nutrient uptake; Nutrition; Nutritional survey. Food supply and nutritional requirement; perou; Peru; Population; Population Dynamics; Regression Analysis; Research Methodology; Respiratory Tract Infections - physiopathology; Seasonal Variation; Seasons; South America; Studies; Suburban Population; valeur calorique; valor calorico; Peru; Measurement; South America; Americas; Diarrhea, Infantile; Anthropometry; Breast Feeding; Data Collection; Infections; Research Methodology; Latin America; Population; Demographic Factors; Models, Theoretical; Nutrition; Health; Seasonal Variation; Diarrhea; Morbidity; Diseases; Studies; Data Analysis; Developing Countries; Infant Nutrition; Longitudinal Studies; Peru; Population Dynamics; Human; Infant; Statistical study; Feeding; Infection; Diet; America; Digestive diseases; Malnutrition; Nutritional status; Breast milk
• ISSN: 0002-9165; 1938-3207
• DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/52.6.1005

To assess the effects of common infections on dietary intake, 131 Peruvian infants were observed longitudinally. Home surveillance for illness symptoms was completed thrice weekly, and food and breast-milk consumption was measured during 1615 full-day observations. Mean (± SD) energy intakes on symptom-free days were 557 ± 128 kcal/d (92.4 ± 26.5 kcal.kg−1.d−1) for infants aged less than 181 d and 638 ± 193 kcal/d (77.7 ± 25.7 kcal.kg−1.d−1) for infants aged greater than 180 d. Statistical models controlling for infant age, season of the year, and individual showed significant 5–6% decreases in total energy intake during diarrhea or fever. There were no changes with illness in the frequency of breast-feeding, total suckling time, or amount of breast-milk energy consumed. By contrast, energy intake from non-breast-milk sources decreased by 20–30% during diarrhea and fever, and the small decrements in total energy consumption during illness were explained entirely by reduced consumption of non-breast-milk foods.