Relationship between breastfeeding patterns and intake of vitamin A and iron in children 6-12 months

Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze the association between breastfeeding type in the first six months of life and intake of vitamin A and iron in children 6-12 months of age. It is a cohort study with 226 children. The type of breastfeeding from 1-6 months of life and the food intake from 6 to 12 months were evaluated. Nutrient intake between groups was compared by the Kruskal-Wallis test. The association between nutrient intake and type of breastfeeding was analyzed by Poisson Regression. Consumption below the recommendation of vitamin A and iron was 33.6% and 67.7%, respectively. Infants exclusively and predominantly breastfed from birth to two months had higher vitamin A intake from 6-12 months of life. Infants who were breastfeeding at 6 months had higher vitamin A intake and lower iron by the bivariate analysis. The group that received mixed feeding and artificial feeding at 1 month and the group non-breastfed at 6 months had vitamin A intake below the recommended from 6-12 month of life. The results reinforce the importance of exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of life contributing to the higher vitamin A intake. Iron intake was lower among breastfed children, but the bioavailability of this nutrient in breast milk is higher.