Does breastfeeding protect against pediatric overweight?
Grummer-Strawn LM; Mei Z; Maternal and Child Nutrition Branch, Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30341-3724, USA. lgrummer-strawn@cdc.gov OBJECTIVE: To examine whether increasing duration of breastfeeding is associated with a lower risk of overweight in a low-income population of 4-year-olds in the United States. METHODS: Visit data were linked to determine prospectively the duration of breastfeeding (up to 2 years of age) and weight status at 4 years of age. Overweight among 4-year-old children was defined as a body mass index (BMI)-for-age at or above the 95th percentile based on the 2000 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts. Logistic regression was performed, controlling for gender, race/ethnicity, and birth weight. In a subset of states, links to maternal pregnancy records also permitted regression analysis controlling for
