Breast-feeding in relation to weight retention up to 36 months postpartum in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study: modification by socio-economic status?. Issue 7 (6th August 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Brandhagen, Martin; Lissner, Lauren; Brantsaeter, Anne Lise; Meltzer, Helle Margrete; Häggkvist, Anna-Pia; Haugen, Margaretha; Winkvist, Anna
• Is Part Of: Public health nutrition. Volume 17:Issue 7(2014)
• Page Start: 1514
• Page End: 1523
• Publication Date: 2013-08-06
• Subjects: Nutrition -- Periodicals; Nutrition policy -- Periodicals; Public health -- Periodicals; 613.2
• DOI: 10.1017/S1368980013001869
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1368-9800

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="normal"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="abs1" sec-type="general"> <title>Objective</title> <p>We investigated the association between full breast-feeding up to 6 months as well as partial breast-feeding after 6 months and maternal weight retention at 6, 18 and 36 months after delivery in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa), conducted by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.</p> </sec> <sec id="abs2" sec-type="general"> <title>Design</title> <p>Cohort study. Information on exposure and outcome was collected by questionnaire.</p> </sec> <sec id="abs3" sec-type="general"> <title>Setting</title> <p>Norway.</p> </sec> <sec id="abs4" sec-type="subjects"> <title>Subjects</title> <p>Women at 6 months (<italic>n</italic> 49 676), 18 months (<italic>n</italic> 27 187) and 36 months (<italic>n</italic> 17 343) postpartum.</p> </sec> <sec id="abs5" sec-type="results"> <title>Results</title> <p>Longer duration of full breast-feeding as well as partial breast-feeding was significantly related to lower weight retention at 6 months. At 18 months full breast-feeding (0–6 months) and partial breast-feeding for 12–18 months were significantly related to lower weight retention. At 36 months only full breast-feeding (0–6 months) was significantly related to lower weight retention. For each additional month of full breast-feeding, maternal weight was lowered by 0·50 kg/month at 6 months, 0·10 kg/month at 18 months and 0·14 kg/month at 36 months (adjusted for pre-pregnant BMI, pregnancy weight gain, age and parity). Partial breast-feeding resulted in 0·25 kg/month lower maternal weight at 6 months. Interactions were found between household income and full breast-feeding in relation to weight retention at 6, 18 and 36 months, indicating most benefit among women with low income.</p> </sec> <sec id="abs6" sec-type="conclusion"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>The present study supports the hypothesis that full breast-feeding contributes to lower postpartum weight retention and shows that the effect is maintained for as long as 3 years postpartum.</p> </sec> </abstract>