A follow-up study from birth to two years old on dietary intakes and growth development for infants with different birth weights

[[abstract]]Fine nutritional supply is the important factor of figure building and healthy growing of infants and toddlers. This study is to examine relationships between dietary intakes and growth among different somatotypes of infants from the birth to two years old by a prospective follow-up design. Moreover、various related factors for growth of infants and toddlers are also considered. Participants were recruited from Taipei Municipal Women’s and Children’s Hospital and National Taiwan University Hospital between 2002 and 2004. In the beginning、there were 151 and 150 neonates respectively in two cohorts. The two cohorts used the same questionnaires collecting dietary、health and growth status of infants and toddlers. Our current analyses combined information from two cohorts consisting of 274 infants from the birth to two years old. These participants were divided into three groups according to the 25th and 75th percentile cut points: relative low birth- weight infants group (rLBW、n=103)、relative adequate-birth weight infants group (rABW、n=73)、and relative high birth-weight infants group (rHBW、n=98). The software packages of SPSS 12.0 and STATA 8.0 were employed for the statistical analyses. At two years old、the rHBW group remained highest weight、but there were significant differences among three groups on weight. Moreover、the rHBW group has highest height and head circumstance compared to other two groups at two years old. Boys and girls had significant differences on body weight from birth to two years old、and boys were heavier than girls for an average of 680g at two years old. Boys were significant higher than girls for about 1.2cm、for head circumference、boys were higher than girls for about 1.3cm. Our analyses for the growth rate indices including the multiple of birth weight and infants weight gain percentage (IWG %) showed the significant differences among three groups from the birth to one year old、but there was no significant difference among three groups from one to two years old. The average daily energy intake of infants at two years old was 1089kcal、which is lower than 1250kcal of DRIs. The mean protein intake was 38g、which was higher than 20g for DRIs. The percentage of protein intake accounted for 13-14% total energy intake of the infants at two years old. The percentage of fat intake decreased to 24-27 % gradually as age increased、the percentage of carbohydrate intake increased gradually to 60%. There are 37% of infants and toddlers fed milk one to two times and take table food as a meal three times in a day、most of infants and toddlers fed milk two times and take table food as a meal two times in a day of daily diet pattern at two years old. There are 8% of infants and toddlers still fed by breast milk、about 70% consume commercial childhood formula、about 15-20% consume regular dairy products. There are about 72% of infants and toddlers don’t refuse to eat any food、about 5-8% of infants and toddlers dislike meat、vegetables、fish and fruit. There are 2.5% and 2.0% of infants and toddlers reject to eat bean and egg、respectively. About 56% of infants and toddlers used supplements at two years old、including probiotics、calcium tablet or powder and multivitamins. The average daily energy intake had no significant difference among three groups at two years old、but the rLBW group was the highest for energy intake per kg and protein of body weight per kg、and the rHBW group has the lowest mean value. The percentage of carbohydrate intake of the rABW group was higher than the rHBW group at two years old. Regarding the energy、protein and carbohydrate intakes、boys had higher intakes than girls at two years old、but there was no significant difference for the percentages of three main macronutrients intakes between boys and girls. The most common disease for the infants and toddlers in this research was the upper respiratory tract infection (the main cause was cold). There was no significant difference among three groups for the frequency of illness and the days of infection for each disease. In addition、the duration for breast feeding was negatively correlated with the days for cold and the frequency of illness. We found that the weight at birth had strong influence on the weight at 6 th、12 th、18 th and 24 th month by multivariate analysis、the explanation power is 13.3%、11.4%、12.8%、12.7%、respectively. By multiple regression analysis for the related factors of the infants growth at two years old、the weight at birth and gender were the better predictors for the weight of the infant at two years old、IWG% and multiple of birth weight at birth to two years old (p<0.05). The height at birth was the better predictor for the height of the infant at two years old (p<0.01)、and the weight at birth was the better predictor for z-score changed from the birth to 18 th month. For dietary variables、vitamin B6 and Zn were the better predictors for the weight of the infant at two years old、the multiple of birth weight and IWG% (p