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Breastfeeding, complementary feeding, overweight and obesity in pre-school children

Viviane Gabriela Nascimento Simon1, José Maria Pacheco de Souza, Sonia Buongermino de Souza

  • 1Programa de Pós-Doutorado em Saúde Pública, Departamento de Saúde Materno- Infantil, Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.

Revista De Saude Publica
|January 27, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Breastfeeding for six months or longer significantly reduces the risk of overweight and obesity in preschool children. Extended breastfeeding offers substantial protection against childhood obesity.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Nutrition Science
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Childhood overweight and obesity are significant public health concerns.
  • Understanding the role of infant feeding practices is crucial for prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between breastfeeding, complementary feeding, and the prevalence of overweight and obesity in preschool children.
  • To identify protective factors related to infant feeding practices.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 566 preschool children in São Paulo, Brazil.
  • Nutritional status assessed using Body Mass Index percentile curves; overweight and obesity defined by specific thresholds.
  • Logistic regression analysis was used to examine associations between feeding practices and nutritional status.

Main Results:

  • The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 34.4% in the studied population.
  • Exclusive breastfeeding for at least six months was a significant protective factor (OR=0.57, p=0.02).
  • Breastfeeding for over 24 months showed even stronger protection (OR=0.13, p=0.00).

Conclusions:

  • Breastfeeding, particularly for extended durations, demonstrates a protective effect against childhood overweight and obesity.
  • Maternal milk offers additional health benefits, including obesity prevention.
  • Findings support the promotion of breastfeeding as a key strategy in combating childhood obesity.
Abstract

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