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. 2013 Aug;15(8):676-82.
doi: 10.5812/ircmj.11120. Epub 2013 Aug 5.

Relationship between Breast Feeding and Obesity in Children with Low Birth Weight

Mitra Zarrati  1 , Farzad Shidfar  1 , Maryam Moradof  2 , Farinaz Nasiri Nejad  3 , Hossein Keyvani  4 , Mohsen Rezaei Hemami  5 , Elham Razmpoosh  6
Affiliations

Relationship between Breast Feeding and Obesity in Children with Low Birth Weight

Mitra Zarrati et al. Iran Red Crescent Med J. 2013 Aug.

Abstract

Background: Breast feeding appears to play a role in determining obesity and abdominal obesity during childhood, specifically in children with a history of low birth weight.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to investigate the relation of breast-feeding with either of abdominal obesity and obesity among Iranian school children.

Materials and methods: A total of 1184 students (625 girls and 559 boys), aged 10 to 13 years old, were selected from 112 governmental elementary schools in Iran. Height, weight, waist circumference and blood pressure were measured using standard instruments and a pretested standardized questionnaire was performed for compiling information about family economics and educational level, first-degree family history of obesity, history of breast feeding, food pattern and birth weight, as well.

Results: 13.68% (n = 160) of students had a history of low birth weight, and 26.41% of them had abdominal obesity. Of all participants, 22.04% were overweight and 5.32% were obese which was more prevalent in girls than in boys (P = 0.03). First-degree family history of obesity (P = 0.001), excessive gestational weight gain (P = 0.001) and birth weight (P = 0.01) were significantly correlated with the prevalence of obesity and abdominal obesity during childhood. Moreover the prevalence of abdominal obesity in children with low birth weight was significantly correlated with breast feeding (P = 0.04); But this relation was not significantly about obesity in our participants (P = 0.9). Furthermore duration of breast feeding was significantly and inversely correlated with obesity and abdominal obesity in schoolchildren with low birth weight (P = 0.01).

Conclusions: The results suggest that Breast feeding and its long-term consequences were important factors for preventing metabolic syndrome criteria in childhood and later years of life span. With regard to the increasing prevalence of obesity in children, more research is urgently needed to clarify whether breast feeding have negative consequences for the risk of chronic disease in children, especially in children with low birth weight.

Keywords: Abdominal Obesity; Breast Feeding; Iran; Low Birth Weight.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Distribution of BMI (A) and abdominal Obesity (B) by Breast Feeding in Children with Low Birth Weight. * P < 0.05; ** P > 0.05; BMI: Body Mass Index
Figure 2.
Figure 2.. Distribution of Obesity (A) and Abdominal Obesity (B) by Duration of Breast Feeding in Children with Low Birth Weight
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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