Is the duration of breastfeeding associated with eating behavior in early childhood?

Eating behavior can be defined as the relationship between human and food and involves a multifaceted network of genetic and environmental influences. The eating behavior acquired in childhood, when dysfunctional, can affect children's health and seems to influence adult eating behavior. This study aimed to analyze the breastfeeding influence on eating behavior in early childhood.

In this longitudinal observational study, data about sociodemographic and breastfeeding practices were collected through questionnaire developed by the researchers and eating behavior was assessed with the Children's Eating Behavior Questionnaire when the children have 3-5 years of age. This instrument was divided into 'food approach' and 'food avoidant' scales, with 'food approach' being linked to overweight/obesity and 'food avoidant' to selectivity.

Data on 107 mother-child pairs were analyzed, of whom 98.1% (n= 105) were breastfed and 46.7% (n= 50) received infant formula. There was a significant association between lower scores in the 'food approach' scale, eating behavior, and total breastfeeding duration > 6 months (p= 0.033), as well, as with exclusive breastfeeding duration > 3 months (p= 0.001). This relationship was confirmed in a linear regression model, after adjusting for sociodemographic variables and infant nutritional status. It was observed that a one-day increase in total breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding was associated with a -0.044 decrease in total score on the 'food approach' scale ([95% CI: -0.08; -0.01]; p= 0.027 and [95% CI: -0.08; -0.01]; p= 0.010, respectively).

The total and exclusive breastfeeding duration are related to child feeding behavior, while a longer period of breastfeeding can be an influencing factor against 'food approach' scale.