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Breastfeeding and cardiometabolic markers at age 12: a population-based birth cohort study

L P M Pluymen1, A H Wijga2, U Gehring3

  • 1Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands. lindapluymen@live.nl.

International Journal of Obesity (2005)
|March 20, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Breastfeeding is linked to better heart health in children. Breastfed children at age 12 had lower blood pressure, smaller waist circumference, and reduced risk of being overweight.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Cardiovascular Health
  • Metabolic Health

Background:

  • Emerging evidence suggests breastfeeding protects against overweight and diabetes.
  • However, its impact on childhood cardiometabolic profiles remains less clear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if breastfed children have improved cardiometabolic markers at age 12 compared to formula-fed children.
  • To determine if the duration of breastfeeding influences these associations.

Main Methods:

  • 1509 children from the PIAMA birth cohort study had cardiometabolic markers measured at age 12.
  • Breastfeeding duration was recorded via parental questionnaires.
  • Multivariable regression analyses assessed associations between breastfeeding and blood pressure, cholesterol, HbA1c, BMI, waist circumference, and overweight status.

Main Results:

  • 85.3% of children were breastfed. Breastfed children showed lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure Z-scores, smaller waist circumference, and reduced odds of being overweight.
  • These associations were consistent regardless of breastfeeding duration.
  • No significant differences were found in total-to-HDL cholesterol, HbA1c, or BMI.

Conclusions:

  • Breastfeeding is associated with favorable cardiometabolic markers in 12-year-old children, including lower blood pressure, smaller waist circumference, and reduced overweight risk.
  • These benefits appear independent of breastfeeding duration.
  • Breastfeeding did not show associations with cholesterol, HbA1c, or BMI in this cohort.
Abstract

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