Larger Bottles Linked to Increased Weight Gain in Formula-Fed Infants

Weight gain in infancy has been tied to weight status later in life, with overweight infants more likely to become overweight children. Bottle size may play a role in the weight gain observed in formula-fed infants, but its role is less well understood than other modifiable risk factors, such as nutritional content and timing of feedings.

To examine the association between bottle size and three outcomes — weight gain at the 6-month visit, increases in weight-for-age (WAZ), and weight-for-length Z scores (WLZ) — researchers analyzed data from 386 infant-parent dyads already enrolled in a cluster-randomized, longitudinal obesity prevention trial. Bottle size was determined at the 2-month visit by direct verification or through parents identify…