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Diet spanning infancy and toddlerhood is associated with child blood pressure at age 7.5 y

Laima Brazionis1, Rebecca K Golley, Murthy N Mittinty

  • 1Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia. laimab@unimelb.edu.au

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
|May 3, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Early childhood diet significantly impacts future blood pressure. A less healthy transition diet by age two was linked to higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure at 7.5 years.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Cardiovascular Health
  • Developmental Pediatrics

Background:

  • Early life diet is crucial for long-term health, potentially influencing future blood pressure.
  • Limited data exists on the specific impact of early-life dietary patterns on childhood blood pressure.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To prospectively examine the association between transition diets in infancy and toddlerhood and blood pressure at age 7.5 years.
  • To investigate the role of dietary patterns during the complementary feeding period on later childhood blood pressure.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective birth cohort study (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children) included 1229 children with dietary and blood pressure data.
  • Principal components analysis identified two transition dietary patterns.
  • Statistical models adjusted for multiple confounders, including maternal and sociodemographic factors, birth variables, breastfeeding, and child body-size metrics.

Main Results:

  • A less healthy transition diet pattern was associated with increased systolic blood pressure (0.62 mm Hg/SD) and diastolic blood pressure (0.55 mm Hg/SD) at 7.5 years.
  • The association between the less healthy diet score and diastolic blood pressure remained significant after adjusting for height, BMI, and waist circumference.
  • The effect of diet on blood pressure was partially mediated by body mass index (BMI).

Conclusions:

  • A less healthy diet during the first two years of life is associated with elevated blood pressure in later childhood.
  • Body mass index plays a significant role in the relationship between early diet and blood pressure.
  • Interventions promoting healthier transition diets may help prevent hypertension later in life.
Abstract

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