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Association Between Breastfeeding and Childhood Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors

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Introduction The immediate benefits of breastfeeding are well-established but the long-term health benefits are less well-known. West Virginia (WV) has a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and lower breastfeeding rates compared to national averages. There is a paucity of research examining the relationship between breastfeeding and subsequent childhood CVD risk factors, an issue of particular relevance in WV. Methods This study used longitudinally linked data from three cross-sectional datasets in WV (N = 11,980). The information on breastfeeding was obtained retrospectively via parental recall when the child was in the fifth grade. The outcome variables included blood pressure measures [systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP)] and lipid profile [total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), non-HDL, and triglycerides (TG)]. Multiple regression analyses were performed, adjusting for childhood body mass index (BMI) and additional covariates. Results Only 43% of mothers self-reported ever breastfeeding. The unadjusted analysis showed that children who were ever vs. never breastfed had significantly lower SBP (b = − 1.39 mmHg; 95% CI − 1.97, − 0.81), DBP (b = − 0.79 mmHg; 95% CI − 1.26, − 0.33), log-TG (b = − 0.08; 95% CI − 0.1, − 0.05), and higher HDL (b = 0.95 mg/dL; 95% CI 0.33, 1.56). After adjustment for the child’s BMI, socio-demographic and lifestyle factors, log-TG remained significantly associated with breastfeeding (b = − 0.04; 95% CI − 0.06, − 0.01; p = 0.01). Conclusion The observed protective effect of any breastfeeding on childhood TG level was small but significant. This finding provides some support for a protective effect of breastfeeding on later CVD risk.

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Acknowledgements

The West Virginia WATCH/Birth Score Program is funded under an agreement with the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, Bureau for Public Health, Office of Maternal, Child and Family Health. The CARDIAC project is funded by the West Virginia Bureau of Public Health. The authors wish to thank the children and families who have participated in the CARDIAC Project and the Birth Score Project. The authors would like to thank Cris Britton, data manager of WATCH/Birth Score Project for providing the matched data. GA Kelley and C Lilly were partially supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award no. U54GM104942. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the views of the National Institutes of Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA

    Amna Umer, Candice Hamilton, Lesley Cottrell, Collin John & William Neal

  2. Department Health Professions Education Program, Center for Interprofessional Studies and Innovation, MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA, USA

    Roger A. Edwards

  3. Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health, Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA

    Peter Giacobbi Jr.

  4. Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA

    Kim Innes

  5. Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA

    George A. Kelley & Christa Lilly

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  1. Amna Umer
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  2. Candice Hamilton
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Umer, A., Hamilton, C., Edwards, R.A. et al. Association Between Breastfeeding and Childhood Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors. Matern Child Health J 23, 228–239 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-018-2641-8

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