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Published on: February 5, 2019

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Association between breastfeeding and osteoporotic hip fracture in women: a dose-response meta-analysis

Haixiang Xiao1, Quan Zhou2, Gouqi Niu3

  • 1Department of Orthopedics, Jingjiang People's Hospital, Jingjiang, 214500, China.

Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research
|January 18, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Breastfeeding reduces the risk of osteoporotic hip fractures in women. Longer breastfeeding duration, up to 25 months, shows a greater decrease in fracture incidence, highlighting its bone health benefits.

Area of Science:

  • Osteoporosis Research
  • Maternal and Child Health
  • Geriatric Medicine

Background:

  • Breastfeeding is crucial for infant development, supplying approximately 300 mg of calcium daily.
  • Women can experience 5-10% bone loss during breastfeeding, increasing osteoporosis risk.
  • Osteoporotic hip fractures represent a significant health concern, particularly in older adults.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between breastfeeding and the incidence of osteoporotic hip fractures in women.
  • To analyze the dose-response relationship between breastfeeding duration and hip fracture risk.

Main Methods:

  • A meta-analysis was conducted using studies from PubMed and Embase up to May 2019.
  • Study quality was assessed using the Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies (MINORS).
  • A dose-response meta-analysis employed the generalized least squares for trend estimation method.

Main Results:

  • Seven moderate to high-quality studies involving 103,898 subjects were included.
  • Breastfeeding was associated with a reduced incidence of osteoporotic hip fractures (RR = 0.64).
  • A dose-response relationship was observed: longer breastfeeding duration correlated with lower fracture risk, with significant effects up to 24 months.

Conclusions:

  • Extended breastfeeding duration is linked to a decreased incidence of osteoporotic hip fractures.
  • The protective effect of breastfeeding on hip fracture risk was significant for durations up to 25 months.
  • No significant association was found for breastfeeding durations exceeding 25 months.
Abstract

Keywords:
Breast feedingHip fracturesMeta-analysis

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