Overweight in childhood of exclusively breastfed infants with a high weight at 5 months

Infants with Excessive Weight Gain while Exclusively Breastfeeding: Follow-Up at 36 Months

Objectives: Rapid weight gain in infancy is associated with an increased risk of later adiposity. Very rarely, however, exclusively breastfed infants experience excessive weight gain (EWG) during the period of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) when breast milk is the only source of nutrition. We investigated growth and body composition at 36 months in children experiencing EWG during EBF. Methods: Ten infants with EWG during the first 6 months of EBF were followed up at 36 months. The infants had been followed from age 5 months. Examinations included anthropometry, body composition by bioimpedance, and blood samples. Body composition and plasma leptin concentrations were available for eight and five children, respectively. Results: From 5 to 36 months, body mass index-for-age z-scores (BAZ) decreased from (mean ± standard deviation) 2.33 ± 0.94 to 1.48 ± 0.57, and only one child still being overweight (BAZ >2). Fat mass and fat mass index (FMI) decreased from 18 to 36 months (4.71 ± 0.56 to 3.57 ± 0.67 kg and 6.50 ± 0.34 to 3.66 ± 0.72 kg/m2, respectively) with a concurrent 45% decrease in leptin. The increase in lean mass was higher than the increase in weight (5.27 versus 3.65 kg, respectively) due to fat loss. There was substantial conformity within the sample in the patterns of body composition change. Conclusion: This unusual group of children continued to decrease in BAZ and FMI with a concomitant increase in fat-free mass, indicating an ongoing normalization of body weight and composition.

Lack of association between breastfeeding duration and body mass index in children and adolescents - A Swedish cohort study

AIMS

The aim of the study was to investigate the association between breastfeeding duration and body mass index (BMI), overweight and obesity in children during follow-up until 16 years of age.

METHODS

Observational cohort study of mothers and their children born 1999-2000 in a municipality in southwestern Sweden. Data were retrieved from antenatal clinics, primary care child health care centres and school health care. The study exposure was breastfeeding duration measured in months and categorised by duration < 6 months and ≥ 6 months. The study outcomes were development of BMI, and overweight and obesity according to ISO-BMI.

RESULTS

The study population comprised 312 mothers and their 319 children of whom 120 were breastfed < 6 months and 199 ≥ 6 months. The overall partial or exclusive median breastfeeding duration was 6.5 months. No associations were found between breastfeeding duration in months and BMI in unadjusted (p = 0.70) and adjusted (p = 0.92) linear mixed-effects models with repeated BMI recordings at approximately 4, 7, 10, 13 and 16 years. Further, no associations were found in subgroup analyses for girls and boys. The adjusted analyses were adjusted for maternal age, smoking, BMI and parity, and for the child's sex, gestational age at birth and birth weight. Unadjusted logistic mixed-effects models with repeated ISO-BMI classifications at approximately 4, 7, 10, 13 and 16 years showed no associations between breastfeeding duration (≥6 months versus < 6 months) and overweight or obesity as compared to underweight or normal weight, in total (odds ratio 1.46, 95% confidence interval 0.69-3.08) or in boys and girls separately.

CONCLUSIONS

We found no association between breastfeeding duration and childhood and adolescence BMI up to 16 years of age or the development of overweight or obesity.

Early Infant Feeding Practices and Associations with Growth in Childhood

Early infant growth trajectories have been linked to obesity risk. The aim of this study was to examine early infant feeding practices in association with anthropometric measures and risk of overweight/obesity in childhood. A total of 2492 children from Upstate KIDS, a population-based longitudinal cohort, were included for the analysis. Parents reported breastfeeding and complementary food introduction from 4 to 12 months on questionnaires. Weight and height were reported at 2-3 years of age and during later follow-up at 7-9 years of age. Age and sex z-scores were calculated. Linear mixed models were conducted, adjusting for maternal and child sociodemographic factors. Approximately 54% of infants were formula-fed at <5 months of age. Compared to those formula-fed, BMI- (adjusted B, -0.23; 95% CI: -0.42, -0.05) and weight-for-age z-scores (adjusted B, -0.16; -0.28, -0.03) were lower for those exclusively breastfed. Infants breastfed for ≥12 months had a lower risk of being overweight (aRR, 0.33; 0.18, 0.59) at 2-3 years, relative to formula-fed infants. Compared to introduction at <5 months, the introduction of fruits and vegetables between 5 and 8 months was associated with lower risk of obesity at 7-9 years (aRR, 0.45; 0.22, 0.93). The type and duration of breastfeeding and delayed introduction of certain complementary foods was associated with lower childhood BMI.

Breast and Formula Milk and Early Puberty Onset

Nutrients have an enormous impact on many hormonal systems and aspects of health, and nutrition status is a crucial regulator of growth and pubertal development in children and adolescents. In this narrative review, we explore the connection between these feeding methods and the timing of puberty to provide a clearer understanding of how infant nutrition might contribute to the early development of puberty. Puberty is a key stage in the transition from childhood to adulthood and the timing of puberty represents a significant biological milestone of growth. Breast milk seems to have a pivotal role in puberty onset, mainly due to its dynamism, which shape indirectly the gut microbiota in early life, besides direct exposure of the baby to the milk microbiota through gut-breast axis. Concerning breast and formula milk and their effects on the onset of puberty, a protective role of the former occurs. As for the potential harmful effects of soy-based formulas and the isoflavones that they contain, the studies reported demonstrate conflicting opinions, underlining the need for further research on this topic. A healthy and well-nourished diet from the earliest stages of life has significant preventive potential for overall well-being, reducing the risk of many health problems later in life.

Overweight/Obesity Prevalence among Under-Five Children and Risk Factors in India: A Cross-Sectional Study Using the National Family Health Survey (2015-2016)

The occurrence of overweight and obesity has increased in recent years in India. In this study, we investigate the prevalence and associated risk factors of overweight/obesity among children aged 0-59 months in India. Using data from the 2015-2016 National Family Health Survey-4 (NFHS-4), the research sample included 176,255 children aged 0 to 59 months. Bivariate and multivariate techniques were used to analyze children's risk factors for overweight/obesity. We identified that the prevalence of overweight/obesity among children aged 0-59 was 2.6% in India. The study findings reveal that factors such as child sex, age, birth weight, birth rank, maternal education, number of children, age at marriage, mother's BMI, media exposure, social group, and dietary diversity score were most significantly correlated with childhood overweight and obesity in India. Furthermore, we found that male children (ARR: 1.08) aged between 0 and 11 months (ARR: 3.77) with low birth rank (ARR: 1.24), obese (ARR: 1.81) children whose mothers married after the age of 18 (ARR: 1.15), children who belong to a scheduled tribe family (ARR: 1.46), and children who consumed 7-9 food items (ARR: 1.22) were at highest risk of being overweight and obese. However, breastfeeding (ARR: 0.85) and Muslim families (ARR: 0.87) appeared to be protective factors with respect to childhood overweight and obesity in India. Pertinent public health programs, clinical follow-up, and awareness about sedentary lifestyles can help to reduce overweight/obesity risks in children.

Overweight in childhood of exclusively breastfed infants with a high weight at 5 months

High infant weight increases the risk of childhood overweight, while breastfeeding may reduce the risk. However, some infants have a very high weight gain even though they are exclusively breastfed. We examined the risk of a high body mass index (BMI) and overweight in childhood for infants ≥2.5 SD above the median weight-for-age (WAZ) at age 5 months according to duration of exclusive breastfeeding (≤2, >2 to <4 or ≥4 months). The study is based on 13,401 7-year-old and 9,819 11-year-old children enrolled into the Danish National Birth Cohort (born 1997-2003). Linear and logistic regression analyses were used to examine the associations while adjusting for presumed confounders including birth weight. The results showed that infants ≥2.5 SD at 5 months, breastfed exclusively ≤2, >2 to <4 or ≥4 months had adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for overweight at age 7 at 3.67 (95% confidence interval [CI] [2.10, 6.43]), 3.42 (95% CI [2.32, 5.04]) and 3.19 (95% CI [1.90, 5.36]) respectively, when compared with infants <2.5 SD WAZ exclusively breastfed ≥4 months. The corresponding results for BMI z-scores were 0.82 (95% CI [0.60, 1.04]), 0.63 (95% CI [0.48, 0.78]) and 0.57 (95% CI [0.38, 0.77]). For the ≥2.5 SD infants, the differences in risk of overweight and BMI according to duration of exclusive breastfeeding were neither significantly different among the 7-year nor among the 11-year-old children. A high infant weight increases the odds of overweight and is associated with a higher BMI in childhood. Whereas the odds and BMI z-scores tended to be lower for those exclusively breastfed longer, the differences were not statistically significant.