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Soy Protein-Based Infant Formula Feeding Association with Adolescent Growth, Body Composition, Cardiometabolic

Larissa Leandro da Cruz1, Chelsey Fiecke2, Brittany Reed2

  • 1Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center, Little Rock, AR, United States; Department of Pediatrics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Science, Little Rock, AR, United States.

The Journal of Nutrition
|January 24, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Soy infant formula (SF) feeding in infancy showed similar adolescent growth and health outcomes compared to cow's milk formula (MF) and human milk (HM). Human milk feeding offered protection against adolescent adiposity compared to cow's milk formula.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Adolescent Health
  • Longitudinal Studies

Background:

  • Limited data exists on the long-term health effects of soy-based infant formula (SF) compared to cow's milk-based infant formula (MF) and human milk (HM).
  • Approximately 12% of U.S. infants are fed SF.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess if SF feeding in infancy impacts adolescent growth, adiposity, diet, metabolic health, or pubertal development.
  • Comparison made against MF and HM feeding during infancy.

Main Methods:

  • The Beginnings Follow-up study assessed 190 participants at age 14 years.
  • Evaluated anthropometry, body composition, diet, cardiometabolic biomarkers, pubertal stage, and reproductive organ characteristics.
  • Statistical analyses used generalized linear regression models adjusted for covariates.

Main Results:

  • Adolescents fed SF showed similar weight, BMI, adiposity, and waist circumference compared to MF and HM groups at age 14.
  • Dietary intake and quality were comparable, with lower fat intake in SF and HM groups versus MF.
  • No significant differences in blood pressure, glucose, lipids, inflammation, puberty, or reproductive organ size were observed.
  • The prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors was lower in SF (3.8%) and HM (0.0%) groups compared to MF (8.1%).

Conclusions:

  • Soy infant formula feeding is associated with comparable growth, body composition, cardiometabolic health, and puberty outcomes at age 14 as MF and HM.
  • Human milk feeding demonstrated a protective effect against adolescent adiposity compared to MF feeding.
Abstract

Keywords:
adolescentbody compositioncardiometabolic risk factorsinfant feedingsoy infant formula

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