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Updated: May 24, 2026
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Relationship between breast-feeding and adiposity in infants and pre-school children
Bamini Gopinath1, Indhu Subramanian, Victoria M Flood
1Centre for Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology and Westmead Millennium Institute, University of Sydney, Westmead Hospital, Hawkesbury Road, Westmead, New South Wales 2145, Australia.
Insights
Breastfeeding is associated with lower BMI and reduced risk of overweight/obesity in early childhood. Longer breastfeeding duration shows a modest but significant decrease in body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference in younger children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Public Health
- Childhood Obesity
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern.
- Understanding modifiable factors like infant feeding practices is crucial for prevention.
- Breastfeeding is widely recommended for its numerous health benefits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between the duration of breastfeeding and Body Mass Index (BMI).
- To examine the relationship between breastfeeding duration and waist circumference in early childhood.
- To determine the impact of breastfeeding on the likelihood of being overweight or obese in young children.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional, population-based study was conducted in Sydney, Australia.
- Data were collected from 2092 infants and pre-school children aged 1-6 years.
- Measurements included height, weight, waist circumference, and breastfeeding history via questionnaire.
Main Results:
- Children who were ever breastfed had significantly lower mean BMI compared to those never breastfed.
- Increasing duration of breastfeeding was associated with decreasing BMI and waist circumference in younger children (1-4 years).
- Children who were ever breastfed were less likely to be overweight or obese (OR = 0.54).
Conclusions:
- Breastfeeding has a modest but significant influence on children's BMI and waist circumference in early childhood.
- The protective effects on BMI and waist circumference were most pronounced in children under 5 years old.
- These findings support the promotion of breastfeeding for its role in preventing childhood overweight and obesity.
Objectives:
We aimed to establish associations of duration of breast-feeding with mean BMI and waist circumference, as well as the likelihood of being overweight/obese, during early childhood.
Design:
Cross-sectional, population-based study. Height, weight and waist circumference were measured and BMI calculated. Interviewer-administered questionnaire determined whether the child was ever breast-fed and the duration of breast-feeding.
Setting:
Sydney, Australia.
Subjects:
Infants and pre-school children (n 2092) aged 1-6 years were examined in the Sydney Paediatric Eye Disease Study during 2007-2009.
Results:
Of the children aged 1-6 years, 1270 had been breast-fed compared with 822 who were never breast-fed. After multivariable adjustment, 1-6-year-old children who were ever breast-fed compared with those who were not had significantly lower BMI, 16·7 (se 0·1) kg/m2 v. 17·1 (se 0·2) kg/m2 (P = 0·01). Decreasing BMI was associated with increasing duration of breast-feeding (P trend = 0·002). After multivariable adjustment, each month increase in breast-feeding was associated with an average BMI decrease of 0·04 kg/m2 (P = 0·002) and 0·03 kg/m2 (P = 0·03) among children aged 1-2 years and 3-4 years, respectively. In 1-2-year-old children, each month increase in breast-feeding duration was associated with a 0·06 cm decrease in waist circumference (P = 0·04). Significant associations were not observed among 5-6-year-old children. Children who were ever breast-fed v. those never breast-fed were less likely to be overweight/obese (multivariable-adjusted OR = 0·54; 95 % CI 0·36, 0·83).
Conclusions:
We demonstrated a modest influence of breast-feeding on children's BMI during early childhood, particularly among those aged less than 5 years.
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