TY - JOUR
T1 - Longer breastfeeding duration reduces the positive relationships among gestational weight gain, birth weight and childhood anthropometrics
AU - Zhu, Yeyi
AU - Hernandez, Ladia M.
AU - Dong, Yongquan
AU - Himes, John H.
AU - Hirschfeld, Steven
AU - Forman, Michele R.
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - Background: The relationship between gestational weight gain (GWG) and childhood growth remains controversial. An examination on whether infant feeding practices mediate this relationship may improve our understanding of it. Methods: We investigated whether the relationships among GWG, birth weight and childhood anthropometrics were mediated through infant feeding practices (breastfeeding duration and age at introduction of solid foods) in a cross-sectional multiethnic study of 1387 mothers and their children aged 0-5.9 years in the USA (2011-2012). Child anthropometrics included agespecific and sex-specific z-scores for weight-for-age (WAZ), height/length-for-age (HAZ), weight-for-height/ length (WHZ) and body mass index-for-age (BMIZ); and ulnar length, a marker for limb growth. We used structural equation modelling to calculate standardised path coefficients and total, direct and indirect associations of GWG, birth weight and infant feeding practices with child anthropometrics. Results: Maternal GWG had a positive indirect association with all anthropometrics mediated via birth weight, whereas longer breastfeeding duration reduced the positive associations of GWG and birth weight with WAZ, WHZ and BMIZ in non-Hispanics (β=-0.077, -0.064 and -0.106, respectively). Longer breastfeeding duration and introducing solid foods at a later age were positively associated with ulnar length (β=0.023 and 0.030, respectively) but not HAZ, suggesting a distinct association, for the first time, with limb growth. Conclusions: Findings suggest that promoting longer breastfeeding duration among women with excessive GWG who had high birthweight newborns may mitigate the potential for their offspring to develop obesity. In addition, findings reinforce the importance of promoting appropriate GWG and preventing high birth weight, which are positively associated with childhood anthropometrics.
AB - Background: The relationship between gestational weight gain (GWG) and childhood growth remains controversial. An examination on whether infant feeding practices mediate this relationship may improve our understanding of it. Methods: We investigated whether the relationships among GWG, birth weight and childhood anthropometrics were mediated through infant feeding practices (breastfeeding duration and age at introduction of solid foods) in a cross-sectional multiethnic study of 1387 mothers and their children aged 0-5.9 years in the USA (2011-2012). Child anthropometrics included agespecific and sex-specific z-scores for weight-for-age (WAZ), height/length-for-age (HAZ), weight-for-height/ length (WHZ) and body mass index-for-age (BMIZ); and ulnar length, a marker for limb growth. We used structural equation modelling to calculate standardised path coefficients and total, direct and indirect associations of GWG, birth weight and infant feeding practices with child anthropometrics. Results: Maternal GWG had a positive indirect association with all anthropometrics mediated via birth weight, whereas longer breastfeeding duration reduced the positive associations of GWG and birth weight with WAZ, WHZ and BMIZ in non-Hispanics (β=-0.077, -0.064 and -0.106, respectively). Longer breastfeeding duration and introducing solid foods at a later age were positively associated with ulnar length (β=0.023 and 0.030, respectively) but not HAZ, suggesting a distinct association, for the first time, with limb growth. Conclusions: Findings suggest that promoting longer breastfeeding duration among women with excessive GWG who had high birthweight newborns may mitigate the potential for their offspring to develop obesity. In addition, findings reinforce the importance of promoting appropriate GWG and preventing high birth weight, which are positively associated with childhood anthropometrics.
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U2 - 10.1136/jech-2014-204794
DO - 10.1136/jech-2014-204794
M3 - Article
C2 - 25680365
AN - SCOPUS:84934758016
SN - 0143-005X
VL - 69
SP - 632
EP - 638
JO - Journal of epidemiology and community health
JF - Journal of epidemiology and community health
IS - 7
ER -