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Cortisol in human milk predicts child BMI.

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Breastfeeding infants exposed to higher cortisol levels in human milk had lower body mass index (BMI) percentiles by age two. This suggests breast milk cortisol may protect against childhood obesity.

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Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Pediatrics
  • Nutritional Science

Background:

  • Breastfeeding is associated with reduced childhood obesity rates.
  • Human milk contains cortisol, a hormone regulating glucose metabolism.
  • Early life factors significantly influence long-term metabolic health and body mass index (BMI).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the hypothesis that early exposure to cortisol in human breast milk influences infant BMI trajectories.
  • To determine if milk cortisol levels at 3 months predict BMI percentile changes up to 2 years of age.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized growth curve modeling on data from 51 breastfeeding mother-child pairs.
  • Measured infant exposure to cortisol in breast milk at 3 months.
  • Tracked child BMI percentile (BMIP) at 6, 12, and 24 months.

Main Results:

  • Higher milk cortisol levels at 3 months correlated with reduced BMIP gains over 2 years.
  • Infants with higher milk cortisol exposure had significantly lower BMIPs by age 2.
  • Milk cortisol's effect on BMIP change was more pronounced in girls than in boys.

Conclusions:

  • Cortisol in human milk may program infant metabolism, potentially mitigating childhood obesity risk.
  • These findings highlight a novel biological pathway linking breastfeeding and protection against obesity.
  • The low glucocorticoid content in infant formula underscores the unique role of breast milk cortisol.