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Breastfeeding and risk of overweight and obesity at nine-years of age

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  • McCrory, Cathal
  • Layte, Richard

Abstract

Whether breastfeeding is protective against the development of childhood overweight and obesity remains the subject of considerable debate. Although a number of meta-analyses and syntheses of the literature have concluded that the greater preponderance of evidence indicates that breastfeeding reduces the risk of obesity, these findings are by no means conclusive. The present study used data from the Growing Up in Ireland study to examine the relationship between retrospectively recalled breastfeeding data and contemporaneously measured weight status for 7798 children at nine-years of age controlling for a wide range of variables including; socio-demographic factors, the child's own lifestyle-related behaviours, and parental BMI. The results of the multivariable analysis indicated that being breastfed for between 13 and 25 weeks was associated with a 38 percent (p < 0.05) reduction in the risk of obesity at nine-years of age, while being breastfed for 26 weeks or more was associated with a 51 percent (p < 0.01) reduction in the risk of obesity at nine-years of age. Moreover, results pointed towards a dose–response patterning in the data for those breastfed in excess of 4 weeks. Possible mechanisms conveying this health benefit include slower patterns of growth among breastfed children, which it is believed, are largely attributable to differences in the composition of human breast milk compared with synthesised formula. The suggestion that the choice of infant feeding method has important implications for health and development is tantalising as it identifies a modifiable health behaviour that is amenable to intervention in primary health care settings and has the potential to improve the health of the population.

Suggested Citation

  • McCrory, Cathal & Layte, Richard, 2012. "Breastfeeding and risk of overweight and obesity at nine-years of age," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(2), pages 323-330.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:75:y:2012:i:2:p:323-330
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.02.048
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    1. Patrick Royston, 2004. "Multiple imputation of missing values," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 4(3), pages 227-241, September.
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    1. Anita Kottwitz & Anja Oppermann & C. Katharina Spiess, 2016. "Parental leave benefits and breastfeeding in Germany: effects of the 2007 reform," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 14(4), pages 859-890, December.
    2. Banks, Joanne & Maitre, Bertrand & McCoy, Selina & Watson, Dorothy, 2016. "Parental Educational Expectations of Children with Disabilities," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number RS50, June.
    3. Miki Kobayashi & Emiko Usui, 2017. "Breastfeeding practices and parental employment in Japan," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 15(2), pages 579-596, June.
    4. Anne Nolan & Richard Layte, 2014. "Socio-economic Inequalities in Child Health in Ireland," The Economic and Social Review, Economic and Social Studies, vol. 45(1), pages 25-64.
    5. George Antonogeorgos & Demosthenes Panagiotakos & Dimitra Grigoropoulou & Anastasios Papadimitriou & Michael Anthracopoulos & Polyxeni Nicolaidou & Kostas Priftis, 2013. "The mediating effect of parents’ educational status on the association between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and childhood obesity: the PANACEA study," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 58(3), pages 401-408, June.
    6. Aoife Brick & Anne Nolan, 2014. "Maternal Country of Birth Differences in Breastfeeding at Hospital Discharge in Ireland," The Economic and Social Review, Economic and Social Studies, vol. 45(4), pages 455-484.
    7. Anna M. Cannon & Foteini Kakulas & Anna R. Hepworth & Ching Tat Lai & Peter E. Hartmann & Donna T. Geddes, 2015. "The Effects of Leptin on Breastfeeding Behaviour," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-16, September.
    8. McGinnity, Fran & Quinn, Emma & Kingston, Gillian & O'Connell, Philip J., 2014. "Annual Monitoring Report on Integration 2013," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number BKMNEXT266, June.

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