Growth in Exclusively Breastfed and Non-exclusively Breastfed Children: Comparisons with WHO Child Growth Standards and Korean National Growth Charts

BACKGROUND: This study examined the relationship of infant feeding with anthropometric indices of children during their first six years of life relative to the Korean National Growth Charts (KNGC) and the World Health Organization Child Growth Standards (WHO-CGS). METHODS: The study population consisted of 547,669 Korean infants and children who were 6 months-old to 6 years-old (born in 2008–2009) and participated in the National Health Screening Program for Infants and Children. Data on height, weight, and type of feeding during the first 6 months (exclusively breastfed [BF] vs. mixed- or formula-fed [FF]) were analyzed. RESULTS: BF boys and girls were significantly shorter and lighter than FF counterparts from the age of 6 months to 4 years, but these differences were not significant after the age of 4 years. BF boys and girls only had significantly lower body mass index at the age of 2 years. Under the age of 2 years 6 months, and especially under the age of 1 year, BF boys and girls were significantly taller and heavier than the 50th percentile values of the 50th percentile value of the WHO-CGS. CONCLUSION: In this study using large-scaled national data, Korean breastfed children are shorter and lighter by 3 years 6 months–4 years 6 months, but afterward, there is no significant difference from those who had mixed- or formula-feeding. Substantial disparities in the anthropometric indices of Korean infants under the age of 1 compared to KNCG and WHO-CGS were found, regardless of their infantile feeding types. Our results emphasize the importance of constructing a nationwide reference chart based on actual measurements of BF Korean infants.