All issues > Volume 12(3); 1969

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1969;12(3):121-136. Published online March 31, 1969.

A Comparative Study on Growth of Infants Cared for in Well Baby Clinic and Milk Station

Sung Kyu Lee¹

¹Department of Pediatrics，Yonsei University College of Medicine Seoul, Koaea

Abstract

Growth is a manifestation of life in the young and its rate and quality are importantly related to the general health and welfare of the individual. Because of this important relationship, parents and pediatrician must have intimate knowledge of the phenomenon of growth. Infancy is the period of most rapid extrauterine growth. There are factors influencing growth such as genetic factors, trauma, nutritional factors, socio -eco-nomic factors, socio-emotional factors and cultural considerations. Nutritional factors are fundamental to optimal growth, both prenatally and postnatally. Nutritional and socio-economic factors are closely interwoven. For the evaluation of growth, measurements of height, weight, chest circumference, head circumference and others are used. Among these the body weight is most important because it sums up the results of all increments in size and is familiar to both parents and physicians. A length meas- urement would seem the next choice. Height, weight, chest circumference and head circumference were measured monthly on the infants registered in Well Baby Clinic and Milk Station of Severance Hospital. The Well Baby Clinic mothers were of high educational level and above middle socio-economic state. They were educated in the care of babies such as nutritional problem and immunization in Well Baby Clinic. On the contrary, the mothers of infants registered in the Milk Station were low in educational level and poor in socio-economic state. In the Milk Station, the mothers were taught well baby care but because of various reasons they failed to put them into practice. Author compared the growth pattern of infants in the Well Baby Clinic with the Milk Station babies. Total numbers of infants were 1,153 comprising 578 and 575 males and females in Well Baby Clinic, and 221 comprising 114 and 107 males and females in Well Baby Clinic, and 221 comprising 114 and 107 males and females in Milk Station, respectively. The following results were observed. 1. Comparing growth data in Well Baby Clinic by sex, the males were superior to females in all measurements. 2. Comparing growth data by feeding formula in Well Baby Clinic, the breast fed infants with supplemental food, were slightly superior to those of cow milk fed infants with supplemental food until 6 months in all measurements but after that period there were no differences between them. 3. Comparing growth data between infants in Well Baby Clinic and the Milk Station, the infants in Well Baby Clinic were significantly superior to those in the Milk Station. 4. Comparing growth data of infants in Well Baby Clinic with Korean Standard growth data, the infants in Well Baby Clinic were superior to those of Korean Standard after 5 and 6 months in all measurements except chest circumference. 5. The conclusion from these results is that physical growth in infant period can be improved by education of the mothers in well baby care and improvement of weaning diet.

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