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Table 1 Characteristics of the study participants

From: Infants fed formula with added long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids have reduced incidence of respiratory illnesses and diarrhea during the first year of life

 

DHA/ARA

Control

P -value

Study enrollment, n

233

92

—

Study completion, n (%)

204 (88%)

78 (85%)

0.59

Gender (male), n (%)

121 (52%)

51 (55%)

0.62

Birth characteristics

   

Weight (g), Mean (SE)

   

Males (DHA/ARA n = 119; Control n = 51)

3375 (39.1)

3433 (59.7)

0.42

Females (DHA/ARA n = 109; Control n = 40)

3383 (41.4)

3195 (68.3)

0.02

Length (cm), Mean (SE)

   

Males

49.9 (0.2)

50.2 (0.3)

0.41

Females

49.6 (0.2)

48.7 (0.3)

0.04

Head circumference (cm), Mean (SE)

   

Males

35.0 (0.1)

34.9 (0.2)

0.65

Females

34.6 (0.1)

34.3 (0.2)

0.13

Enrollment characteristics

   

Age (days) at enrollment

   

Males

41.3 (1.5)

38.3 (2.3)

0.28

Females

45.6 (1.4)

43.2 (2.4)

0.39

Weight (g), Mean (SE)

   

Males

4594.9 (75.2)

4524.1 (113.9)

0.61

Females

4566.8 (68.8)

4378.4 (117.0)

0.17

Length (cm), Mean (SE)

   

Males

55.0 (0.3)

54.7 (0.4)

0.53

Females

54.9 (0.3)

54.3 (0.4)

0.28

Head circumference (cm), Mean (SE)

   

Males

38.0 (0.2)

37.7 (0.2)

0.32

Females

37.7 (0.1)

37.4 (0.2)

0.26

Feeding

   

Ever breastfed, n (%)

144 (62%)

70 (76%)

0.02

Non-breastfed, n (%)

88 (43%)

22 (30%)

 

Mixed feeding, n (%)

60 (29%)

21 (28%)

0.07

Exclusively breastfed, n (%)

59 (29%)

31 (42%)

 

Breastfeeding duration (days), Mean (SE)

32 (1.5)

34 (2.3)

0.52

Family history of allergy, n (%)

   

Eczema

49 (21%)

19 (21%)

1.00

Asthma

47 (20%)

16 (17%)

0.64

Smoking in home, n (%)

50 (22%)

21 (23%)

0.88

Mother’s educational level, n (%)

  

0.54

High

64 (28%)

20 (22%)

 

Intermediate

142 (63%)

60 (67%)

 

Low

19 (8%)

9 (10%)

 

Parents’ socioeconomic level, n (%)

  

0.80

Both upper

36 (16%)

15 (16%)

 

One upper/One intermediate

32 (14%)

13 (14%)

 

One upper/One lower

9 (4%)

1 (1%)

 

Both intermediate

111 (49%)

46 (51%)

 

One intermediate/One lower

35 (15%)

16 (18%)

 

Both lower

3 (1%)

0 (0%)

 

Daycare attendance, n (%)

   

Early daycare exposure (≤90 days of age)

12 (5%)

0 (0%)

0.02

Late daycare exposure

99 (45%)

36 (42%)

0.61

  1. Gender, family history of eczema, asthma, and bronchiolitis, and smoking in the home, mother’s educational level, and type of feeding were analyzed using Fisher's exact test. All other variables were analyzed by ANOVA; statistical significance at P < 0.05.
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BMC Pediatrics

ISSN: 1471-2431

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