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An Infantile Case of Transient, Severe Hypercholesterolemia with Normalization after Complete Weaning from

Yukiyo Yamamoto1, Reiko Saito, Motohide Goto

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Fukuoka, Japan.

Clinical Pediatric Endocrinology : Case Reports and Clinical Investigations : Official Journal of the Japanese Society for Pediatric Endocrinology
|August 9, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Breastfeeding can cause severe hypercholesterolemia in some infants, mimicking familial hypercholesterolemia. Cholesterol levels normalized after weaning, suggesting a link between prolonged breastfeeding and transient severe hypercholesterolemia.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Neonatology
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • Neonatal screening identifies hyperthyrotropinemia, leading to diagnosis of transient hyperthyrotropinemia.
  • Infants may present with severe hypercholesterolemia, initially suspected as familial hypercholesterolemia due to high LDL cholesterol.

Observation:

  • A 20-day-old boy exhibited hyperthyrotropinemia, later developing severe hypercholesterolemia by 5 months.
  • Normal parental lipid profiles and the infant's elevated cholesterol levels raised suspicion of familial hypercholesterolemia.
  • The infant was exclusively breastfed until 6 months and continued to rely on breast milk post-weaning.

Findings:

  • Serum cholesterol levels significantly decreased after complete weaning from breast milk at 14 months.
  • The normalization of cholesterol levels, coupled with normal parental lipid profiles, indicated breastfeeding as the cause of transient severe hypercholesterolemia.
  • While breastfed infants typically have higher cholesterol, this case presents severe hypercholesterolemia comparable to familial hypercholesterolemia.

Implications:

  • Breastfeeding can be associated with severe, transient hypercholesterolemia in a subset of infants.
  • Clinicians should consider breastfeeding as a potential cause of severe hypercholesterolemia in infants, even with normal parental lipid profiles.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms behind breast milk-induced severe hypercholesterolemia.

Keywords:
breast-feedinginfanttransient hypercholesterolemia

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