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. 2023 Jan;19(1):e13438.
doi: 10.1111/mcn.13438. Epub 2022 Oct 18.

Breastfeeding duration is associated with higher adiposity at 6-8 months of age

Thanida Ua-Areechit  1 , Orapa Suteerojntrakool  2   3 , Tippawan Pongcharoen  4 , Pattanee Winichagoon  4 , Kunchit Judprasong  4 , Alexia J Murphy-Alford  5 , Warren T K Lee  6 , Bubphachat Potip  4 , Pimnapanut Sridonpai  4 , Wanabhorn Tongchom  7 , Sirinuch Chomtho  2
Affiliations

Breastfeeding duration is associated with higher adiposity at 6-8 months of age

Thanida Ua-Areechit et al. Matern Child Nutr. 2023 Jan.

Abstract

Breastfeeding (BF) has been identified as a protective factor against childhood obesity. However, evidence of the association between BF duration and adiposity remains inconclusive. Few studies have been conducted among Southeast Asian infants that have measured body composition during infancy using the gold standard stable isotope method. This study aimed to evaluate the association between BF duration and body composition during infancy. Healthy full-term Thai infants aged 6-8 months (n = 60) receiving exclusive or predominant BF for at least 3 months were recruited. Skinfold thickness (SFT) was measured by well-trained investigators. Body composition was assessed by the deuterium dilution technique. Infants with longer BF duration (>6 months; mean 7.5 ± 0.5 months, n = 29) had a higher subscapular SFT z-score than those with shorter BF duration (≤6 months; mean 5.3± 0.9 months, n = 31) by 0.48 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.01-0.94). After adjustment for age and sex, BF duration and age at introduction of complementary feeding (CF) were positively associated with fat mass and fat mass index at 6-8 months. One month increase in BF duration and CF age was associated with a 0.37 (95% CI: 0.05, 0.69) kg/m2 and 0.76 (95% CI: 0.18, 1.34) kg/m2 increase in the fat mass index, respectively. After adjusting for infant body mass index (BMI) during the earlier infancy period, the strength of the association was attenuated. This finding may reflect reverse causality where infants with lower BMI received formula or CF earlier. A longitudinal study with follow-up into childhood is warranted to confirm the effects of BF on adiposity in infancy and childhood.

Keywords: adiposity; body composition; breastfeeding; complementary feeding; deuterium; fat mass; lean mass; obesity.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Comparison of anthropometric measurements between shorter BF and longer BF groups (n = 61). The shorter BF group was defined as infants receiving BF without any formula for less than or equal to 6 months of age along with CF, while the longer BF group was defined as infants receiving BF solely for more than 6 months along with CF. BF, breastfeeding; BMI, body mass index; CF, complementary feeding; MUAC, mid‐upper arm circumference; SFT, skinfold thickness.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Comparison of body composition assessed by the deuterium dilution technique between shorter and longer BF groups (n = 51): (a) comparison of weight of FM and FFM; (b) comparison between %FM and FFM; (c) comparison between index of FM and FFM. The shorter BF group was defined as infants receiving BF without any formula for less than or equal to 6 months of age along with CF, while the longer BF group was defined as infants receiving BF solely for more than 6 months along with CF. BF, breastfeeding; CF, complementary feeding; FFM, fat‐free mass; FFMI, fat‐free mass index; FM, fat mass; FMI, fat mass index.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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