Formula-fed Babies at Risk for Overfeeding

Pay attention to cues that your bottle-fed baby has had enough

By Shari Roan

It's normal for newborns to lose weight during the first few days after birth. But weight loss can differ substantially depending on whether a baby is formula-fed or breastfed, according to researchers at the University of Manitoba in Canada. Exclusively formula-fed babies tend to lose much less weight than breastfed babies and those who are breastfed but receive supplemental formula. Since a loss of 5 percent to 7 percent of body weight is normal in the first few days, it could be that formula-fed babies are initially overfed, said the authors.

The study is important because overfeeding early in life may "hardwire" a baby's metabolism and influence weight later in life. Other studies have shown that breastfed infants tend to have lower obesity rates in adulthood.

February/March 2008