Breastfeeding in children born small for gestational age and future nutritional and metabolic outcomes: a systematic...

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Nutrition Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Infants born small for gestational age (SGA) are at increased risk for adverse cardiometabolic outcomes.
• Understanding optimal infant feeding practices for SGA infants is crucial for long-term health.
• The role of breastfeeding in this population requires systematic evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the evidence on nutritional and cardiometabolic outcomes in term infants born small for gestational age.
• To examine the association between breastfeeding and these outcomes in term SGA infants.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple databases (MEDLINE, LILACS, SciELO, Embase).
• Studies included term infants born small for gestational age, focusing on those who were breastfed and had cardiometabolic outcome assessments.
• Exclusion criteria involved preterm infants, lack of breastfeeding data, and absence of outcome variable evaluation.

Main Results:

• Seven studies met the inclusion criteria, exhibiting variability in evaluation methods and child age.
• Exclusive breastfeeding promoted growth without altering body composition or increasing insulin resistance compared to higher-calorie formula feeding.
• One study noted an increase in fat mass among exclusively breastfed infants.

Conclusions:

• Breastfeeding is a safe feeding practice for term infants born small for gestational age, with no short-term adverse outcomes identified.
• Promoting breastfeeding in this population may serve as a preventive strategy against obesity and chronic noncommunicable diseases.