[ effect of maternal Ramadan fasting on growth parameters of their breast-fed infants]

ABSTRACT

Breast feeding is the best feeding pattern for infants. As a large number of mothers are fasting during the Ramadan, the aim of this study was to determine the impact of maternal Ramadan fasting on growth parameters of the infants whom fed only with maternal breast milk. This cohort study was performed from the beginning of Ramadan till the end of the following month in 1385. A total of 60 infants who fed only with maternal breast milk aged ranging from 15 days to 6 months were selected. Based on their mother fasting, they were divided in two groups of case [27 infants who their mothers were fasting] and control [33 infants who their mothers were not fasting]. The growth statue of the infants were evaluated using parameters weight, height, head circumference, during Ramadan and the following month. Using descriptive and analytical statistics, analysis of variance and independent t-tests data were analyzed. The mean age and sex of the infants was the same [P>0.05]. Weight, height and head circumference of the infants increased by 21, 7 and 6 percent, respectively during the study [P<0.05]. The repeated analysis variance showed that there was no significant difference in increasing of growth parameters between fasting and non-fasting mothers [P>0.05]. Ramadan fasting of mothers with exclusively breast-feeding infants did not adversely affect on the growth parameters of their infants