TY - JOUR
T1 - Health and development outcomes in 6.5-y-old children breastfed exclusively for 3 or 6 mo
AU - Kramer, Michael S.
AU - Matush, Lidia
AU - Bogdanovich, Natalia
AU - Aboud, Frances
AU - Mazer, Bruce
AU - Fombonne, Eric
AU - Collet, Jean Paul
AU - Hodnett, Ellen
AU - Mironova, Elena
AU - Igumnov, Sergei
AU - Chalmers, Beverley
AU - Dahhou, Mourad
AU - Platt, Robert W.
PY - 2009/10/1
Y1 - 2009/10/1
N2 - Background: Despite the current World Health Organization recommendation that infants be exclusively breastfed for 6 mo, this practice remains unusual in both developed and developing countries. Objective: The objective was to compare health and development outcomes at age 6.5 y in children who were exclusively breastfed for 3 mo (EBF3) or for 6 mo (EBF6); in the EBF3 group, the children continued partial breastfeeding for ≥6 mo. Design: This was a prospective cohort study nested within a large, cluster-randomized trial of a breastfeeding promotion intervention in the Republic of Belarus. Outcomes compared at 6.5 y included anthropometric measurements, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, intelligence quotient, teachers' ratings of academic performance, parent- and teacher-rated behavior, atopic symptoms, allergen skin-prick tests, and dental caries. All statistical analyses were adjusted for cluster- and individual-level covariates and for clustering of outcomes within the clinics at which the children were examined. Results: The 2427 EBF3 and 524 EBF6 children who were followed up represented 84.7% and 89.4%, respectively, of those followed for the first year of life. The only significant differences observed between the 2 groups were in mean body mass index, triceps skinfold thickness, and hip circumference, all of which were higher in the EBF6 group. Conclusions: We observed no demonstrable beneficial or adverse long-term effects on child health of exclusive breastfeeding for 6 mo. Higher adiposity measures in the EBF6 group probably reflect reverse causality rather than a causal effect of prolonged exclusive breastfeeding. Established benefits appear to be limited to the period of exclusive breastfeeding.
AB - Background: Despite the current World Health Organization recommendation that infants be exclusively breastfed for 6 mo, this practice remains unusual in both developed and developing countries. Objective: The objective was to compare health and development outcomes at age 6.5 y in children who were exclusively breastfed for 3 mo (EBF3) or for 6 mo (EBF6); in the EBF3 group, the children continued partial breastfeeding for ≥6 mo. Design: This was a prospective cohort study nested within a large, cluster-randomized trial of a breastfeeding promotion intervention in the Republic of Belarus. Outcomes compared at 6.5 y included anthropometric measurements, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, intelligence quotient, teachers' ratings of academic performance, parent- and teacher-rated behavior, atopic symptoms, allergen skin-prick tests, and dental caries. All statistical analyses were adjusted for cluster- and individual-level covariates and for clustering of outcomes within the clinics at which the children were examined. Results: The 2427 EBF3 and 524 EBF6 children who were followed up represented 84.7% and 89.4%, respectively, of those followed for the first year of life. The only significant differences observed between the 2 groups were in mean body mass index, triceps skinfold thickness, and hip circumference, all of which were higher in the EBF6 group. Conclusions: We observed no demonstrable beneficial or adverse long-term effects on child health of exclusive breastfeeding for 6 mo. Higher adiposity measures in the EBF6 group probably reflect reverse causality rather than a causal effect of prolonged exclusive breastfeeding. Established benefits appear to be limited to the period of exclusive breastfeeding.
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U2 - 10.3945/ajcn.2009.28021
DO - 10.3945/ajcn.2009.28021
M3 - Article
C2 - 19710187
AN - SCOPUS:70349784095
SN - 0002-9165
VL - 90
SP - 1070
EP - 1074
JO - American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
JF - American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
IS - 4
ER -