Relationship between frequency of child and growth in the second year

Introduction: The importance of breast-feeding is well-known over the first two-year of the life. Although, the complementary feeding is the main source of energy during the above-mentioned period and breast-feeding itself cannot supply the child nutritional requirements, as a consequence, complementary feeding provides seventy percent of the daily child requirements. It seems that a decrease in the frequency of complementary feeding over the first ۲-year of the life would lead to an increase in the frequency of breast-feeding. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional and descriptive study which was performed via a simple randomized sampling on ۴۰۴ first to second year infant referred to health centers of Rafsanjan city. A detailed-questionnaire and physical exam were performed. X۲ test and Fischer's exact test were used. Results: Our study showed a significant correlation between the frequency of daily breastfeeding and height in the second year of the life (p<۰.۰۰۹). However, there was no significant correlation between the frequency of daily breastfeeding and weight in the second year of the life. Conclusion: Our study showed that complementary feeding did not fulfill the sufficient calories which itself leads to child shortness in height. It was observed that insufficient complementary feeding would lead to an increased frequency of breast-feeding.