Breastfeeding as a protective factor against overweight and obesity among pre-school children

• Published in: Revista chilena de pediatria Vol. 86; no. 1; p. 32
• Main Authors: Jarpa, M Catalina, Cerda, L Jaime, Terrazas, M Claudia, Cano, C Carmen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Chile 01.01.2015
• Subjects: Body Weight; Breast Feeding; Case-Control Studies; Child Nutrition Disorders - prevention & control; Child, Preschool; Chile; Female; Humans; Male; Obesity - epidemiology; Obesity - prevention & control; Overweight - epidemiology; Overweight - prevention & control; Protective Factors; Socioeconomic Factors; Obesity; malnutrición; Sobrepeso; obesidad; Breastfeeding; Malnutrition; lactancia materna; Overweight
• ISSN: 0717-6228
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rchipe.2015.04.006

The rates of overweight and obesity among children have significantly increased in Chile. To assess the benefits of breastfeeding in preventing malnutrition by excessive intake of foods in Chilean pre-school children. A case-control study was conducted in 2011 on pediatric patients treated in a private Chilean healthcare center (San Joaquin Medical Center, Catholic University). Gender, age, weight, height, nutritional diagnosis, type of feeding during the first 6 months of life, socioeconomic status, parental education and obesity, television viewing, and kindergarten attendance were analyzed. A total of 209 patients were included in the study, 53.1% of whom were male, and 60.3% were predominantly breastfed for the first 6 months of life. More than half (51.7%) were eutrophic, 29.7% were overweight, and 18.6% obese. The patients were between the ages of 2 and 3 years 11 months. The crude Odds Ratio of breast-feeding versus formula during the first 6 months of life in patients with normal weight versus overweight children was 0.442 (95% CI 0.204-0.961). It was found that predominantly breastfeeding during the first 6 months of life acted as a protective factor against malnutrition by excessive intake of foods in Chilean pre-school children treated in this private medical center.