Correlation between the duration of breastfeeding and the occurrence of early childhood obesity

Abstract

Introduction: Obesity and being overweight at the premature childhood can cause negative consequences on a
physical, psychological, and financial level and their dealing with is a challenge for the public health. Moreover, the
childhood obesity may be transferred to adulthood and cause a series of chronic illnesses, by increasing the morbidity
and mortality. In the latest years, the prevalence of child obesity has increased dramatically. Unfortunately, Greece belongs to the countries with the highest percentages of childhood obesity, worldwide. Moreover, the development of
obesity is a compound situation, which is owed to genetic, perigenetic, behavioral and environmental factors, which act
additionally among them. One of the various ways to face and prevent childhood obesity is the baby’s breastfeeding. Especially the length of breastfeeding plays a significant role in the appearance of premature childhood obesity. Aim: To
study the best time period of the breastfeeding for the prevention of the appearance of premature childhood obesity.
Methodology: A review of the electronic database PubMed occurred in December 2020. The inclusion criteria were: 1)
articles that were published between 2015-2021, 2) articles written in English or Greek, 3) a full text availability 4) the
sample consisted of infants, babies and toddlers, 5) articles referred to humans, 6) the content of the articles concerns
primary research studies, 7) articles that assessed the relation between the duration of maternal breastfeeding and
the obesity of childhood. Results: 329 articles were defined and finally 14 of them based on the criteria of inclusion
were studied extensively. Τhe length of breastfeeding for at least 3 months to 1 year decreased the childhood obesity
percentages. Conclusions: Breastfeeding and extensive breastfeeding duration may be a preventive measure for the
appearance of premature childhood obesity. The effectiveness of breast milk in the prevention of childhood obesity
appearance can depend on the way of its administration. The effectiveness is greater when the maternal milk is provided through the breast in relation to that provided from the bottle. Finally, both methods appear more effective than
the providing of formula in the prevention of childhood obesity.