Relationship of Breastfeeding and Formula-Feeding Practices with Infant Health Outcomes in an Urban Poor Population

Housing quality, stability, and affordability have a direct relationship to socioemotional and physical health. Both city planning and public health have long recognized the role of housing in health, but the complexity of this relationship in regard to infant and maternal health is less understood. Focusing on literature specifically relevant to U.S. metropolitan areas, I conduct a multidisciplinary literature review to understand the influence of housing factors and interventions that impact infant and maternal health. The paper seeks to achieve three primary goals. First, to identify the primary “pathways” by which housing influences infant and maternal health. Second, the review focuses on the role and influence of historical housing discrimination on maternal health outcomes. Third, the review identifies emergent practice-based housing interventions in planning and public health practice to support infant and maternal health. The literature suggests that the impact of housing on infant health is complex, multifaceted, and intergenerational. Historical housing discrimination also directly impacts contemporary infant and maternal health outcomes. Policy interventions to support infant health through housing are just emerging but demonstrate promising outcomes. Structural barriers to housing affordability in the United States will require new resources to foster greater collaboration between the housing and the health sectors.

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Free and Total Amino Acids in Human Milk in Relation to Maternal and Infant Characteristics and Infant Health Outcomes: The Ulm SPATZ Health Study

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13062009 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 2009

Author(s):

Joris H.J. van Sadelhoff ◽

Linda P. Siziba ◽

Lisa Buchenauer ◽

Marko Mank ◽

Selma P. Wiertsema ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Amino Acids ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Human Milk ◽

Infant Development ◽

Infant Health ◽

Child Growth ◽

Health Study ◽

Maternal Characteristics ◽

Tract Infections ◽

Total Amino Acids

Free amino acids (FAAs) are important regulators of key pathways necessary for growth, development, and immunity. Data on FAAs in human milk (HM) and their roles in infant development are limited. We investigated the levels of FAAs and total amino acids (TAA, i.e., the sum of conjugated amino acids and FAAs) in HM in relation to infant and maternal characteristics and immunological conditions. FAA and TAA levels in HM sampled at 6 weeks (n = 671) and 6 months (n = 441) of lactation were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography. Child growth was ascertained at 4–5 weeks and at 6–7 months of age. Child allergy and lower respiratory tract infections were assessed in the first years of life. Associations of amino acid (AA) levels in HM with child growth and health outcomes were determined by Spearman correlation and modified Poisson regression, respectively. Free glutamine, glutamate, and serine in 6-week HM positively correlated with infant weight gain in the first 4–5 weeks of age. Maternal pre-pregnancy weight and body mass index (BMI) were negatively correlated with free glutamine and asparagine in 6-week and 6-month HM and positively correlated with the sum of TAAs in 6-month HM, but significance was lost following confounder adjustment. Free glutamine was lower in 6-month HM of mothers with an allergy (either active or non-active). No consistent associations were found between FAAs in HM and child health outcomes. However, potential negative associations were observed between specific FAAs and the risk of food allergy. These results suggest that specific FAAs play a role in infant growth. Moreover, these findings warrant further investigations into the relation of FAAs in HM with infant health outcomes and maternal allergy.

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Relationship of parental characteristics and feeding practices to overweight in infants and young children in Beijing, China

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980008003509 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 12 (7) ◽

pp. 973-978 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Jiang Jingxiong ◽

Urban Rosenqvist ◽

Wang Huishan ◽

Bert Koletzko ◽

Lian Guangli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Young Children ◽

Parental Education ◽

Feeding Practices ◽

Normal Weight ◽

Major Public Health Problem ◽

Overweight Children ◽

Parental Characteristics ◽

Relationship Of ◽

Beijing China ◽

Infants And Young Children

AbstractBackgroundChildhood obesity has become a major public health problem in many countries. To explore the risk factors of overweight in infants and young children might be helpful in developing an early overweight intervention strategy.ObjectiveTo assess the prevalence of overweight and the relationship of parental characteristics and feeding practices to overweight in infants and young children in Beijing, China.DesignData on weight and length/height were collected on 4654 children aged 1–35 months in twelve communities in Beijing from a cross-sectional study. Overweight was defined as weight-for-length/height ≥2sd above the median of the WHO reference. Two hundred and fifteen families with overweight children and 215 families with normal-weight children were interviewed using a questionnaire to obtain feeding practices.ResultsThe overall prevalence of overweight was 4·7 %. Both parental overweight and low parental education were significantly higher among overweight than normal-weight children. The total energy intake was significantly higher in overweight than in normal-weight children at 12–35 months of age. Compared with normal-weight children, significantly fewer overweight children were breast-fed for at least 4 months. Overweight children were also more likely to have been introduced to infant formula and semi-solid foods during the first 4 months.ConclusionEarly prevention strategies should include feeding practices identified as putting children at risk of obesity. These include early cessation of breast-feeding and premature introduction of other foods.

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The relationship of parental health literacy to health outcomes of children with medical complexity

Journal of Pediatric Nursing ◽

10.1016/j.pedn.2021.02.014 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 60 ◽

pp. 65-70

Author(s):

Patricia R. Lawrence ◽

Iris Feinberg ◽

Regena Spratling

Keyword(s):

Health Literacy ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Children With Medical Complexity ◽

Parental Health ◽

Medical Complexity ◽

Relationship Of ◽

The Relationship

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100 Days Outcome of Severe Wasting in Hospitalized Infants < 6 Months Age

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980021003268 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-21

Author(s):

Jai Prakash Patel ◽

Rajesh Kumar Meena ◽

Dheeraj Shah ◽

Piyush Gupta

Keyword(s):

Urban Poor ◽

Prospective Observational Study ◽

Close Monitoring ◽

Z Score ◽

Term Outcome ◽

Long Term Outcome ◽

Medical College ◽

Discharge From Hospital ◽

Poor Population

Abstract Objective: To assess the outcome of severe wasting in infants below 6 months of age Design: A prospective observational study conducted between January 2017 to October 2018 Setting: A medical-college affiliated hospital in Eastern Delhi, catering mainly to the urban poor population Participants: All children with severe wasting (weight-for-length Z score (WLZ) < -3 SD) between 1 to 6 months age, requiring hospitalization Results: Out of 50 children enrolled, during hospitalization, 42 (84%) recovered (weight-for-length Z score (WLZ) > -3 SD) and discharged; the median (IQR) duration of stay was 9.5 (6.5, 13.0) days. After 100 days of enrolment, sustained cure (WLZ > -2SD) could be achieved in only 15 (30%) infants, while another 14 (28%) recovered from severe wasting, but remained in moderately wasted state (WLZ between -2 to -3 SD). Overall, there were 3 (6%) deaths (all during first week of hospitalization); 3 (6%) relapses and 15 (30%) defaulters (5, 5, 2, 1 and 2 defaulted during hospitalization, at day 15, day 60, day 75 and day 90, respectively). Conclusions: The overall recovery rate from severe wasting in infants below 6 months was below the acceptable levels. In order to achieve better long-term outcome, community linkage services after discharge from hospital are required for supervised feeding, close monitoring and supportive care.

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Factors Associated with Maternal Opinion of Infant Development—Clues to the Vulnerable Child?

PEDIATRICS ◽

10.1542/peds.69.5.537 ◽

1982 ◽

Vol 69 (5) ◽

pp. 537-543

Author(s):

Marie C. McCormick ◽

Sam Shapiro ◽

Barbara Starfield

Keyword(s):

Birth Weight ◽

Infant Development ◽

Infant Health ◽

Subsequent Development ◽

First Year ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Slow Development ◽

First Year Of Life ◽

Relationship Of ◽

The Relationship

A mother's expectations about the development of her infant have been found to be a strong determinant of child development, but little is known about the factors that may affect maternal assessment of development. In this study, the relationship of the mother's opinion of the development of her infant with several sociodemographic, antenatal, intrapartum, and infant health variables was examined for a large sample of 1-year-old infants for whom gross motor observations were also obtained at the time of the interview. Among those observed to be developing at an appropriate rate, 4.0% were perceived by their mothers as developing more slowly than the mothers considered normal; among infants developing more slowly, 28.6% were considered to be developing slowly by their mothers. In both groups, the major determinants of maternal opinion of slow development concerned the infant's health: low birth weight, congenital anomalies regardless of severity, hospitalization during the first year of life, and high ambulatory care use. These results indicate that maternal perception of infant development may not reflect the infant's level, but past or present illness, and raise questions about the influence of infant health on maternal-infant interactions and the effect of such interactions on subsequent development in the child.

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