Comparison of breast and formula feeding on the stool characteristics of 1-3 months old infants

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of breast-feeding and formula-feeding on the characteristics of stool in infants, 1 to 3 months of age. In this investigation, 651 infants (338 girls (51.9%) and 313 boys (48.1%)) with a mean age of 2.18±0.84 months were studied. This population included of infants presenting to four different Health and Medical centers in Kerman for routine vaccination. They were exclusively fed with either breast milk or Nan, Nini, My boy. There was significant difference between the breast-fed and formula-fed infants (P<0.05). Infants fed Nan formula had more defecation per day than infants fed Nini formula, and this difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The frequency of colic attacks per day was significantly higher in infants fed Nini formula than those fed Biomil formula or breast milk (P<0.05). The number of defecations or colic attacks per day was not statistically correlated with the sex of infants. There were more loose stools among breast-fed infants, and the frequency of firm stools was significantly higher in infants fed Nini formula than infants fed with other formulas or breast milk (P<0.05). The color of stool was similar in all studied groups. We concluded that minute differences in the composition of different formulas can cause various gastrointestinal symptoms, which may alleviate with replacing that formula with another one.