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Human Milk Feeding and Ultraprocessed Food Intake in Toddlerhood

Samrawit F Yisahak1,2, Caroline A Racke1, Karolina M Edlund1

  • 1Center for Biobehavioral Health, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA.

Breastfeeding Medicine : the Official Journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine
|May 29, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Early human milk feeding did not influence ultraprocessed food intake in toddlers born preterm. This study found no association between human milk duration and later consumption of ultraprocessed foods (UPFs).

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal nutrition and developmental pediatrics.
  • Dietary patterns and public health.
  • Human milk composition and infant outcomes.

Background:

  • Ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) are increasingly consumed by young children.
  • Understanding early nutrition's long-term impact is crucial for preterm infants.
  • Few studies examine human milk feeding and UPF intake in preterm populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the relationship between early human milk feeding and ultraprocessed food intake in toddlers born preterm.
  • To investigate associations at two time points during toddlerhood.
  • To analyze the impact of human milk feeding duration on UPF consumption.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the Omega Tots trial (2012-2017).
  • Assessed human milk feeding history and UPF intake via food frequency questionnaires.
  • Employed linear and logistic regression analyses with covariate adjustment.

Main Results:

  • Nearly 89% of 333 preterm toddlers received some human milk; only 4.2% were exclusively fed human milk to 6 months.
  • UPFs constituted 37.7% to 43.4% of total caloric intake.
  • No significant association was found between human milk feeding (ever or duration) and UPF intake in toddlerhood.

Conclusions:

  • Early human milk exposure, regardless of duration, was not associated with reduced ultraprocessed food intake in preterm toddlers.
  • Findings suggest that human milk feeding alone may not prevent later UPF consumption in this vulnerable population.
  • Further research with larger sample sizes is needed to confirm these associations.

Keywords:
breastfeedinghuman milkpreterm birthtoddlersultraprocessed foods

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