Breast-Feeding Seen Not to Curb Childhood Obesity
Fri 17 October, 2003 15:22 BST 
     
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Recent reports have suggested that breast-feeding may lower the risk of children becoming overweight. Now, however, data from two new studies do not support this. 

In one of the studies, reported in this week's British Journal of Medicine, Dr. Cesar G. Victora, at Universidade Federal de Pelotas in Brazil, and colleagues looked at the body composition of a group of 18-year-old males. 

When the subjects were infants, records were kept on how long they were breast-fed and the age at which other foods were introduced. 

The investigators found that duration of breast-feeding did not consistently affect overweight and obesity in adolescence. 

In the second study, Dr. L. Li and colleagues at the Institute of Child Health in London measured weight in relation to height -- the body mass index -- of 2631 boys and girls, average age 8 years, for whom duration of breast-feeding had been documented. 

Statistical analysis showed no evidence that breast-feeding affected body mass index or obesity. 

"Secular trends do not suggest a protective effect," Li's group adds "In both Britain and the United States the incidence of breast-feeding has increased since 1990, but so has obesity." 

However, both teams of researchers recommend that breast-feeding still be promoted, because of its other beneficial effects. 

SOURCE: British Medical Journal, October 18, 2003. 





--Julie Rosen, CD (DONA), LLLL

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