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Updated: Feb 27, 2026
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Infant feeding and growth trajectory patterns in childhood and body composition in young adulthood
Peter Rzehak1, Wendy H Oddy2,3, M Luisa Mearin4
1Division of Metabolic and Nutritional Medicine, and.
Insights
Shorter durations of full breastfeeding (<3 months) are linked to rapid infant growth patterns. These patterns may influence body composition later in life, potentially increasing long-term obesity risk.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Nutritional Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Infant feeding methods, specifically breastfeeding versus formula feeding, can influence growth trajectories.
- Formula-fed infants often exhibit faster growth rates compared to breastfed infants, extending into later life stages.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify distinct infant growth patterns using latent growth mixture modeling.
- To investigate the role of early nutrition, particularly breastfeeding duration, in shaping these growth patterns.
- To examine the association between identified growth patterns and body composition at 20 years of age.
Main Methods:
- Pooled data from four large cohort studies (Raine Study, EU-funded Early Nutrition project cohorts).
- Latent growth mixture modeling applied to 6708 infant growth trajectories to identify BMI patterns.
- Logistic regression and ANOVA used to assess associations between breastfeeding duration, growth trajectories, and body composition.
Main Results:
- Three distinct BMI trajectory patterns were identified: persistent rapid growth (5%), early nonpersistent rapid growth (40%), and normative growth (55%).
- Full breastfeeding for less than 3 months was significantly associated with both rapid growth patterns compared to normative growth.
- Both rapid growth trajectories were strongly linked to altered body composition at 20 years (P < 0.0001).
Conclusions:
- Shorter durations of exclusive breastfeeding (<3 months) may be associated with accelerated early childhood growth.
- These rapid growth patterns could mediate the link between infant feeding practices and long-term body composition, including obesity risk.
- Findings highlight the potential long-term impact of early infant nutrition on health outcomes into young adulthood.
Abstract:
Background: Growth patterns of breastfed and formula-fed infants may differ, with formula-fed infants growing more rapidly than breastfed infants into childhood and adulthood.Objective: Our objectives were to identify growth patterns and investigate early nutritional programming potential on growth patterns at 6 y and on body composition at 20 y.Design: The West Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study and 3 European cohort studies (European Childhood Obesity Trial, Norwegian Human Milk Study, and Prevention of Coeliac Disease) that collaborate in the European Union-funded Early Nutrition project combined, harmonized, and pooled data on full breastfeeding, anthropometry, and body composition. Latent growth mixture modeling was applied to identify growth patterns among the 6708 individual growth trajectories. The association of full breastfeeding for <3 mo compared with ≥3 mo with the identified trajectory classes was assessed by logistic regression. Differences in body composition at 20 y among the identified trajectory classes were tested by analysis of variance.Results: Three body mass index (BMI; in kg/m2) trajectory patterns were identified and labeled as follows-class 1: persistent, accelerating, rapid growth (5%); class 2: early, nonpersistent, rapid growth (40%); and class 3: normative growth (55%). A shorter duration of full breastfeeding for <3 mo was associated with being in rapid-growth class 1 (OR: 2.66; 95% CI: 1.48, 4.79) and class 2 (OR: 1.96; 95% CI: 1.51, 2.55) rather than the normative-growth class 3 after adjustment for covariates. Both rapid-growth classes showed significant associations with body composition at 20 y (P < 0.0001).Conclusions: Full breastfeeding for <3 mo compared with ≥3 mo may be associated with rapid growth in early childhood and body composition in young adulthood. Rapid-growth patterns in early childhood could be a mediating link between infant feeding and long-term obesity risk.
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