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Mapping of Reviews on Breastfeeding and Obesity Risk in Children

  • Diabetes and Obesity (MC de Oliveira Otto, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Introduction

Globally, breastfeeding rates continue to decline while childhood obesity rates remain high. A comprehensive understanding of the relationship between breastfeeding and obesity and the identification of gaps in the current literature is necessary to determine the next steps in research and health promotion efforts in this area.

Objective

The purpose of this paper was to conduct a systematic mapping of reviews in order to evaluate the current literature and determine the associations between breastfeeding and childhood obesity risk.

Methods

Medline (1946 to present), PubMed (NLM), Embase (1947 to present), Cochrane, PsycINFO, and CINAHL were searched. The studies had to be review articles looking at the association between breastfeeding and obesity. Only peer-reviewed articles published in English between 1946 and May 17, 2016 with available full texts were included in the final mapping of reviews.

Results

Twenty-nine review articles were included of which nine were meta-analyses. Variation in operationalization of exposure (breastfeeding) and outcome (overweight/obesity) variables is one of the most notable findings among the various systematic reviews. Breastfeeding was classified either as ever versus never or exclusive versus not exclusive or breastfeeding versus bottle-feeding or a combination of the three. There was variability in measurement of the duration of exclusive breastfeeding, which ranged from <1 to >12 months with majority between 1 and 6 months. Overweight and obesity was also variously classified using different parameters including weight status, BMI percentile, weight for length, waist-hip circumference, skinfold thickness, and various measures of obesity (fat mass, percent fat mass, and fat-free mass).

Conclusion

Results support a strong inverse association between breastfeeding and risk of obesity in the child. Covariates influencing this association included birth weight, socioeconomic status, maternal smoking, parental weight status, and sibling status (in twin studies). Breastfeeding initiation, duration, and exclusivity were the three ways in which breastfeeding was operationalized, while weight status and BMI were the predominant ways in which child obesity was measured. Future research focusing on a geographically and ethnically diverse population, using experimental designs, and longer duration of follow-up in the child is warranted.

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Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living for their support on the project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Texas School of Public Health, 1200 Pressler, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Katie Newsome, Tasnuva Rashid & Helena M. Vonville

  2. Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences; Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, University of Texas School of Public Health, 1200 Pressler, RAS E603, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Shreela V. Sharma

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  1. Katie Newsome
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Correspondence to Shreela V. Sharma.

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Katie Newsome, Tasnuva Rashid, Helena M. Vonville, and Shreela V. Sharma declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Katie Newsome and Tasnuva Rashid are co-first authors

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Newsome, K., Rashid, T., Vonville, H.M. et al. Mapping of Reviews on Breastfeeding and Obesity Risk in Children. Curr Nutr Rep 5, 255–277 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13668-016-0180-8

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