Table 3.
Differences in maternal weight and body composition changes between early pregnancy and 4 months postpartum according to infant feeding practices (n 470), Dublin, Republic of Ireland
| Formula-feeding (n 164) | Partial breast-feeding (n 114) | Exclusive breast-feeding (n 192) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean | Range | Mean | Range | Mean | Range | P value* | |
| Weight (kg) | +1·1 | −18·8 to 17·8 | +1·7 | −7·6 to 10·2 | +2·0 | −8·2 to 17·9 | NS |
| Fat mass (kg) | +0·4 | −14·8 to 13·3 | +0·8 | −9·1 to 9·2 | +1·2 | −6·3 to 10·8 | 0·03 |
| Fat mass (%) | −0·03 | −9·8 to 9·1 | +0·4 | −8·5 to 8·7 | +1·0 | −11·0 to 12·4 | 0·02 |
| Fat-free mass (kg) | +0·7 | −7·2 to 7·0 | +0·9 | −4·5 to 6·0 | +0·7 | −4·9 to 11·3 | NS |
| Total body water (kg) | +0·5 | −5·0 to 5·0 | +0·6 | −3·2 to 4·2 | +0·6 | −3·5 to 8·0 | NS |
| Bone mass (kg) | +0·04 | −0·3 to 0·3 | +0·04 | −0·2 to 0·3 | +0·04 | −0·3 to 0·6 | NS |
| Visceral fat level | +0·2 | −4·0 to 3·0 | +0·3 | −2·0 to 2·0 | +0·3 | −2·0 to 3·0 | NS |
*P value testing for significant difference between formula-feeding and exclusive breast-feeding using Mann–Whitney U test.