Nutrition and development in infants of poor rural areas. Pt. 1. Consumption of mother's milk by infants.

This study was designed to examine the pattern of mother's milk consumption of infants from poor Mexican rural areas. A standardized sample of 17 mother-infant units was longitudinally studied in ad-libitum conditions, estimating milk volume by difference in body weights before and after feeding from the breast. Average total milk consumption during the 1st year of life was 183 +or- 23 liters. Daily milk consumption started low (423 +or- 85 ml), increased to a peak at 450 +or- 80 ml, and finally dropped to about 350 +or- 44 ml at 18 months. About 1/2 the cases reached the peak at 8 weeks and the rest at 24 weeks; this difference in presentation of the peak was connected to the mother's parity and nutritional status. Consumption seems to depend on mother's production since the baby keeps a high demand as evidenced by high feeding frequencies and too long sucking times. The gap resulting from decreasing milk production at a time when nutritional needs increase progressively affects the baby's development and nutritional status.