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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Karen A. Bonuck, PhD and Richard Kahn, MS, RD. Department of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, 111 East 210th Street, Bronx, NY 10467
Objective: To begin to determine the prevalence and effects of excessive and prolonged bottle feeding practices in young children. Inappropriate bottle feeding beyond AAP guidelines is largely unexamined outside of studies of tooth decay which primarily focus on nighttime feeding. Methods: We conducted a convenience sample of 95 predominantly Hispanic children aged 18-56 months at 3 WIC sites in the South Bronx. English and Spanish speaking parents were interviewed. Results: Half the sample was >85th% BMI and 21% met CDC criteria for anemia. Half were overweight (>85th% BMI) and 36% were obese (>95th% BMI). 21% met CDC criteria for anemia. Two-thirds (64%) received daily bottles of milk or sweet liquids. Daily bottle use ranged from 3-10 (mean=3.3, median=3). Bottle use was significantly associated with obesity (>95th% BMI, p<.00), nearly significant with overweight (>85th% BMI, p<.06) and statistically significant with IDA. Conclusions: The prevalence and duration of bottle-feeding is high and associated with overweight and IDA risks. Despite convenience sampling limitations, these findings are suggestive. AAP guidelines to bottle wean by the 16th month warrants more support. Inappropriate feeding creates greater risk for otitis media, dental caries, and speech difficulties. Our findings support clinical observations that find inappropriate bottle use is related to higher than expected rates of obesity and iron deficiency, particularly in Hispanic children. We initiated the Feeding Young Children Study to study the effects of bottle feeding practices in WIC-enrolled children and to plan an intervention to reduce bottle feedings and the attendant health risks.
Learning Objectives: At the end of the session
Keywords: Obesity, Children's Health
Related Web page: none
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: none
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.