Infant formula, tea, and water supplementation of Latino infants at 4-6 weeks postpartum

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months-of-age. The authors examined prevalence and risk factors for use of infant formulas, water, and teas at 4-6 weeks in Latino infants in the San Francisco Bay Area, a group at high risk for future obesity. They recruited a cohort of pregnant Latina women (N = 201). Infant dietary recall and postpartum depressive symptoms were assessed at 4-6 weeks. The authors found that 105 women (53.1%) were feeding infant formulas and 48 (25.4%) were supplementing with tea or water. Of those providing water or tea, 60.0% were providing daily supplementation. In multivariate analyses, risk for infant supplementation with water or tea was associated with postpartum depressive symptoms (relative risk, 1.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-3.0), cesarean delivery (relative risk, 1.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-2.9), and infant formula use (relative risk, 1.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-1.6). Early supplementation with water or teas and infant formulas should be discouraged in Latinos, given the high frequency observed in this population.