Breastfeeding Linked to Lower Child BMI for Age Z-Score
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, Jan. 19, 2024 -- Regardless of maternal body mass index (BMI) category, breastfeeding is associated with a lower child BMI for age z-score (BMIz), according to a study published online Dec. 19 in Pediatrics.
Gayle M. Shipp, Ph.D., R.D.N., from Michigan State University in Flint, and colleagues analyzed 8,134 dyads from 21 cohorts in the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes Program to describe associations between breastfeeding practices and child BMIz. Dyads were included if they had data for maternal prepregnancy BMI, infant feeding practices, and one or more child BMI assessment between the ages of 2 and 6 years.
The prevalence of maternal underweight, healthy weight, overweight, and obese BMI category was 2.5, 45.8, 26.0, and 25.6 percent, respectively. The researchers found that across the BMI weight categories, the median child ages at the cessation of any and exclusive breastfeeding were 19, 26, 24, and 17 weeks and 12, 20, 17, and 12 weeks, respectively. Among children whose mothers had a healthy weight, overweight, or obesity, three months of any breastfeeding was associated with a lower BMIz (−0.02, −0.04, and −0.04, respectively). Among children whose mothers had a healthy weight, overweight, or obesity, three months of exclusive breastfeeding was associated with a lower BMIz (−0.06, −0.05, and −0.08, respectively).
"Our findings highlight that each additional month of breastfeeding, whether a consistent amount or exclusively, may contribute to a lower weight later in childhood, especially for mothers who had obesity before pregnancy," Shipp said in a statement.
Several authors disclosed ties to relevant medical organizations.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
![](/img/logo/vendor/healthday-logo.png)
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted January 2024
Read this next
Small Differences in Weight Change With First-Line Antidepressants
MONDAY, July 1, 2024 -- For eight first-line antidepressants, small differences are seen in mean weight change, with the least weight gain with bupropion, according to a study...
Bariatric Surgery Tied to Lower Risk of MACE, Death in Obesity, Sleep Apnea
FRIDAY, June 28, 2024 -- Metabolic surgery is associated with significantly lower risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) compared with nonsurgical management among...
Exercise + GLP-1 RA Effective for Weight Loss While Preserving BMD
THURSDAY, June 27, 2024 -- For adults with obesity, without diabetes, combining exercise with the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA), liraglutide, is effective...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.