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Early feeding practices and family structure: associations with overweight in children

Monica Hunsberger1,

  • 1Public Health Epidemiology Unit, Department of Community Medicine and Public Health, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Box 454, SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden.

The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society
|February 11, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Exclusive breastfeeding for 4-6 months protects against childhood overweight. Being an only child increases overweight risk compared to having siblings, highlighting early feeding and family structure

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health
  • Nutrition Science

Background:

  • Childhood overweight and obesity are significant public health concerns, affecting approximately 22 million children in European countries.
  • Early life factors, including feeding practices and family environment, are increasingly recognized as crucial in the development of childhood overweight.
  • Existing literature suggests a complex interplay of genetic, environmental, and social factors contributing to pediatric obesity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the association between early feeding practices, specifically exclusive breastfeeding, and childhood overweight.
  • To examine the relationship between family structure, including the presence of siblings, and the risk of childhood overweight.
  • To contextualize findings from the Identification and prevention of Dietary- and lifestyle-induced health EFfects In Children and infantS (IDEFICS) study within the broader scientific literature.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of data from the multi-center European IDEFICS study, involving 16,224 children aged 2-9 years.
  • Statistical control for potential confounders, including country, parental education, parental weight, maternal age, child's age, birth weight, and gender.
  • Comparison of overweight risk based on exclusive breastfeeding duration and family structure (presence/absence of siblings).

Main Results:

  • Exclusive breastfeeding for 4-6 months demonstrated a protective effect against overweight (including obesity) compared to never exclusively breastfed children (OR 0·73, 95% CI 0·63, 0·85).
  • Children without siblings were significantly more likely to be overweight than those with siblings (OR 1·52, 95% CI 1·34, 1·72), even after adjusting for multiple covariates.
  • The protective impact of breastfeeding on overweight development appears to be dose-dependent, with exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months showing optimal protection.

Conclusions:

  • Both exclusive breastfeeding duration and family structure are significant factors influencing the development of childhood overweight and obesity.
  • Exclusive breastfeeding for the recommended duration (4-6 months or longer) is associated with a reduced risk of overweight in children.
  • Being an only child is identified as a risk factor for childhood overweight, suggesting family structure plays a critical role.

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