Are Overnight Feeds Necessary for Infants?
It is a common idea that floats around discussions of infant sleep - & even doctors offices: babies don’t need to have night feedings after 12 lbs (around 4mo)… thus they should be trained to sleep through the night.
Just because a baby can metabolically handle it, doesn’t mean every baby should.
Some recent studies go even further, stating that providing feeds during night wakes will lead to infant obesity (O’Shea 2022). You read that right: infant obesity.
This study has many flaws - namely, citing research that is ambiguous at best on the “importance of preventing infant obesity” - none of which indicating what “risks” are posed by it or health effects later in life.
What the data DO support are responsive feeding methods from birth to 24 months to establish healthy eating habits for life (Harbron 2013; Pérez-Escamilla 2021).
Qualified lactation professionals will inform you that any infant under 12mo should be responsively fed breastmilk or formula on demand, as it is their primary source of nutrition. Current guidance from the AAP (2022) also suggest that responsively breastfeeding through the first 2 years is ideal (however, nodding to the great deal of systemic supports required to make this accessible to families).
Lactation professionals will also tell you that waking is a hunger cue for infants, & that the infant who is responsively fed has the capacity to show cues on whether they would like a feed or not.
It is important that clinical care providers are prudent when providing infant sleep & feeding advice. The popularity of advice should not be the threshold for clinical suggestions in pediatric care.
References:
Harbron, Janetta & Booley, Sharmilah & Najaar, Baheya & Day, Catherine. (2013). Responsive feeding: establishing healthy eating behaviour early on in life. South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 26. S141-149.
O'Shea KJ, Ferguson MC, Esposito L, Hammer LD, Avelis C, Hertenstein D, Gonzales MS, Bartsch SM, Wedlock PT, Siegmund SS, Lee BY. The impact of reducing the frequency of night feeding on infant BMI. Pediatr Res. 2022 Jan;91(1):254-260. doi: 10.1038/s41390-021-01397-7. Epub 2021 Mar 4. PMID: 33664477; PMCID: PMC8604149.
Pérez-Escamilla R, Jimenez EY, Dewey KG. Responsive Feeding Recommendations: Harmonizing Integration into Dietary Guidelines for Infants and Young Children. Curr Dev Nutr. 2021 Apr 30;5(6):nzab076. doi: 10.1093/cdn/nzab076. PMID: 34104850; PMCID: PMC8178105.
Rachel Y. Moon, Rebecca F. Carlin, Ivan Hand, THE TASK FORCE ON SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME AND THE COMMITTEE ON FETUS AND NEWBORN; Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Updated 2022 Recommendations for Reducing Infant Deaths in the Sleep Environment. Pediatrics July 2022; 150 (1): e2022057990. 10.1542/peds.2022-057990
Image attribution: Ana Curcan via Unsplash
Remember: this post is for informational purposes only and may not be the best fit for you and your personal situation. It shall not be construed as medical advice. The information and education provided here is not intended or implied to supplement or replace professional medical treatment, advice, and/or diagnosis. Always check with your own physician or medical professional before trying or implementing any information read here.
