Influence of exclusive breastfeeding on hippocampal structure, satiety responsiveness, and weight status

Abstract

Longer exclusive breastfeeding duration has been associated with differences in neural development, better satiety responsiveness, and decreased risk for childhood obesity. Given hippocampus sensitivity to diet and potential role in the integration of satiety signals, hippocampus may play a role in these relationships. We conducted a secondary analysis of 149, 7-11-year-olds (73 males) who participated in one of five studies that assessed neural responses to food cues. Hippocampal grey matter volume was extracted from structural scans using CAT12, weight status was assessed using age- and sex-adjusted body mass index (%BMI_p85 ), and parents reported exclusive breastfeeding duration and satiety responsiveness (Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire). Separate path models for left and right hippocampus tested: (1) the direct effect of exclusive breastfeeding on satiety responsiveness and its indirect effect through hippocampal grey matter volume; (2) the direct effect of hippocampal grey matter volume on %BMI_p85 and its indirect effect through satiety responsiveness. %BMI_p85 was adjusted for maternal education, yearly income, and premature birth while hippocampal grey matter volume was adjusted for total intercranial volume, age, and study from which data were extracted. Longer exclusive breastfeeding duration was associated with greater bilateral hippocampal grey matter volumes. In addition, better satiety responsiveness and greater left hippocampal grey matter volume were both associated with lower %BMI_p85 . However, hippocampal grey matter volumes were not associated with satiety responsiveness. Although no relationship was found between breastfeeding and child weight status, these results highlight the potential impact of exclusive breastfeeding duration on the hippocampal structure.

Keywords: brain; breastfeeding; child; feeding behavior; grey matter; hippocampus; obesity.

Figure 1

Exclusive breastfeeding model for childhood obesity development. (a) Path model; (b) exclusive breastfeeding model for left hippocampal grey matter volume; and (c) exclusive breastfeeding model for right hippocampal grey matter volume. Path unstandardised model coefficients and standard errors are listed. 85th Percentile BMI cutoff% (BMIp85): ratio of child's body mass index (BMI, kg/m²) to child's age‐ and sex‐specific BMI cutoff for overweight (i.e., Centres for Disease Control growth chart 85th percentile). Dashed grey line: indicates nonsignificant association, *solid black line: indicates significant association (p < 0.05)