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Delayed introduction of solid feeding reduces child overweight and obesity at 10 years

Abstract

Background:

The function that the timing of introduction of solid foods may have in the development of child obesity has not been adequately explored, either as a potential confounder of the relationship between breastfeeding and child obesity, or as an independent modifiable risk factor.

Objective:

To determine the association between infant feeding practices and child overweight/obesity.

Patients and Methods:

Six hundred and twenty subjects were recruited antenatally from 1990 to 1994. A total of 18 telephone interviews over the first 2 years of life recorded infant feeding practices. At mean age of 10 years, height and weight were measured for 307 subjects. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine whether infant feeding practices (duration of exclusive and any breastfeeding, and age at introduction of solid foods) were associated with odds of being overweight/obese (internationally age- and sex-standardized body mass index category) at age 10 years, after adjustment for confounders.

Results:

Delayed introduction of solid foods was associated with reduced odds of being overweight/obese at age 10 years, after controlling for socioeconomic status, parental smoking and childcare attendance (adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=0.903 per week, 95% CI=0.841–0.970, P=0.005). Antenatal parental smoking was associated with overweight/obesity at age 10 years (aOR=3.178, 95% CI=1.643–6.147, P=0.001). Duration of exclusive or any breastfeeding was not associated with the outcome.

Conclusions:

Delayed introduction of solids is associated with reduced odds of child overweight/obesity. Wider promotion of current infant feeding guidelines could have a significant impact on the rates of child overweight and obesity.

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Acknowledgements

We thank MACS chief investigators Dr David Hill and Dr Cliff Hosking; Christine Axelrad for recruitment and data collection; Dr John Thorburn for assistance in patient recruitment and administrative assistance; the Mercy Hospital Department of Obstetrics for participant recruitment; Anne Balloch for data management and all of the MACS children and parents for their participation and ongoing support for this study.

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Correspondence to J B Dixon.

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Competing interests

Initial development of MACS was supported by Nestlé Australia. The Asthma Foundation of Victoria supported the 10-year follow-up. The sponsors of the study had no role in the study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation or writing of the report. The corresponding author had full access to all data and final responsibility for the decision to submit for publication.

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Seach, K., Dharmage, S., Lowe, A. et al. Delayed introduction of solid feeding reduces child overweight and obesity at 10 years. Int J Obes 34, 1475–1479 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2010.101

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