Breastfeeding duration and risk of depressive symptoms in adolescents

Abstract

Background: Epidemiological evidence on the relationship between breastfeeding duration in early childhood and subsequent depressive symptoms in adolescence is limited. This prebirth cohort study examined whether a longer breastfeeding duration was associated with a reduced risk of depressive symptoms in adolescents at 13 years.

Methods: The study included 872 mother-child pairs. Adolescent depressive symptoms were assessed using a 20-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale score of ≥16.

Results: The risk of depressive symptoms was 23.2% among the 872 adolescents aged 13 years. A reverse J-shaped association was found between breastfeeding duration and depressive symptoms at 13 years. Compared with <6 months of breastfeeding, 6 to <18 months, but not ≥18 months, of breastfeeding was significantly associated with a reduced risk of depressive symptoms. The adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for depressive symptoms at 13 years for <6 months, 6 to <18 months, and ≥18 months of breastfeeding were 1 (reference), 0.58 (0.34-0.99), and 0.78 (0.46-1.32), respectively.

Conclusions: The present study found a reverse J-shaped association between breastfeeding duration and depressive symptoms at age 13. Breastfeeding for a duration of at least 6 months may be recommended to prevent adolescent depressive symptoms.

Impact: Epidemiological evidence on the relationship between breastfeeding duration in early childhood and subsequent depressive symptoms in adolescence is limited. The current prebirth cohort study is the first to report a reverse J-shaped association between breastfeeding duration and depressive symptoms at 13 years. Compared with breastfeeding for <6 months, breastfeeding for 6 to <18 months, but not ≥18 months, was significantly associated with a reduced risk of depressive symptoms at 13 years.