[Infant feeding practice and later obesity risk. Indications for early metabolic programming]

Area of Science:

• Developmental biology
• Nutritional science
• Public health

Background:

• Early metabolic programming links developmental nutrition to long-term health outcomes, including obesity.
• Observational studies suggest breastfeeding reduces later obesity risk compared to formula feeding.
• The 'early protein hypothesis' posits lower protein in human milk protects against infant overgrowth and subsequent obesity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test the 'early protein hypothesis' regarding infant formula composition and long-term obesity risk.
• To evaluate the impact of reduced protein content in infant formula on early growth patterns.
• To assess the potential of infant feeding practices for long-term health programming.

Main Methods:

• A double-blind, randomized clinical trial (European Childhood Obesity Project) involving 1,678 infants across five European countries.
• Infants were randomized to receive either higher or lower protein content infant and follow-on formulas for the first year.
• Follow-up data collected at age 2 years, comparing growth to breastfed infants and WHO standards.

Main Results:

• Infant formula with reduced protein content normalized early growth trajectories.
• Growth patterns in the reduced protein group aligned with a breastfed reference group and WHO growth standards.
• This normalization suggests a potential for long-term protection against later obesity.

Conclusions:

• Infant feeding practices, specifically formula composition, significantly influence long-term health.
• Reduced protein formulas demonstrate potential for preventing early excessive weight gain and mitigating future obesity risk.
• Findings support a review of current infant formula recommendations and policies to optimize infant health outcomes.