Growth Comparison of Breast-Fed and Formula-Fed Infants

Growth during infancy was analyzed using data from a study in which groups of infants were fed breast-milk or one of three formulas: Good Star(R), Isomil(R), or Similac(R). After adjustments for size at birth and parental stature, growth was within the normal range for all feeding groups and there were few significant differences in growth between those fed different formulas. There was, however, some evidence that Similac(R) was associated with larger gains in weight and that those fed breast-milk or Isomil(R) had lower weights at ages older than two months. Additionally, at six months, recumbent length tended to be smaller in the Isomil(R) group of boys and in both the Isomil(R) and Similac(R) groups of girls and larger in the Good Start(R) groups of boys and girls