Abstract
INTRODUCTION: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), breastfeeding is the best way to feed infants. Adoption of some inappropriate nutritional patterns along with breast milk, especially in infants older than 6 months, may lead to a delay in the child's growth. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between breastfeeding and weight gain in children aged 6-24 months. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This case-control study was conducted on 120 infants aged 6-24 months and their mothers recruited from health centers of Ahvaz, southwest of Iran. The data collection tool in the present study included a questionnaire to record demographic information and information in the child's medical records in health centers. Statistical analysis of the data was done by SPSS 23 using the Chi-square test and t-test. RESULTS: No significant difference was observed between the control and case groups in terms of the infant's age (P = 0.741) and gender (P = 0.564) and the mothers' age (P = 0.614), her educational attainment (P = 0.389), and socioeconomic status of the infant's family (P = 0.563). The type of delivery (P = 0.650), mothers' opinion (P = 0.133), and the interval between breastfeeding and complementary feeding (P = 0.144) had no significant relationship with the infant's growth disorder. On the other hand, duration of breastfeeding per meal (P = 0.007) and frequent breastfeeding (dependency on the mother's breast) (P = 0.049) had a significant relationship with children's developmental disorders. CONCLUSION: According to the results of the present study, growth disorders in infants in the case group could be attributed to their mothers' inappropriate breastfeeding patterns.