ABSTRACT
The many advantages of exclusively breast feeding infants are documented: breast-feeding enhances the growth and development of breast fed infants. The impact of Ramadan fasting by breast-feeding mothers on the growth parameters of exclusively breast-fed infants is still not clear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of maternal fasting during Ramadan on the growth parameters of their exclusively breast-fed infants. This cohort study was performed throughout Ramadan and for five months after, on healthy, exclusive breast-fed infants [n=116], aged between 15 days to 6 months, assigned into two groups based on their mothers fasting: Control group [n=80] and fasting group [infants with fasting mothers: n=36]. All infants underwent periodic physical examinations twice in Ramadan, 3 times in the second month and then twice monthly in next 4 months. The infant's growth status was evaluated by calculating each growth parameters [weight, height, head circumference] as a percentage of the median value for age, based on appropriate growth charts. The mean age of infants in the case group was 3.43 +/- 1.38 and in the control group was 2.31 +/- 1 45 months age being significantly different between the two groups [P<0.05]. Fifty-four [46.6%] were boys and this proportion was the same in both groups [P>0.05]. According to the repeated measures ANOVA, all growth parameters increased during the study period [P< 0.05] but the rate of increasing was the same for both groups [P>0.05]. Ramadan fasting by breastfeeding mothers did not adversely affect on the growth parameters of exclusively breast-fed infants