Breastfeeding Is Associated With Reduced Obesity in Hispanic 2- to 5-Year-Olds Served by WIC.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between breastfeeding (BF) and odds of childhood obesity in a large, primarily Hispanic Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) population.

SETTING: A large urban WIC program in California.

PARTICIPANTS: Infants enrolled in WIC born between 2004 and 2007 and observed to age 5 years (N = 39,801; 88.6% Hispanic).

INTERVENTION: Level of BF: fully BF, fully formula feeding, or combination feeding.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Obesity at age 2-5 years, measured by body mass index (BMI) ≥ 95th percentile.

ANALYSIS: Logistic regression analyses to evaluate the association between initiation, duration, and exclusivity of BF and odds of obesity at age 2-5 years, controlling for ethnicity, preferred language, family size, poverty level, and maternal BMI.

RESULTS: Infants exclusively formula fed at birth were significantly more likely than fully breastfed infants to be obese at age 2-5 years (χ2 [2, N = 39,801] = 123.31; P < .001). For every additional month of any BF, obesity risk at age 2-5 years decreased by 1%. Every additional month of full BF conferred a 3% decrease in obesity risk. Ethnicity, preferred language, family size, poverty level, and maternal BMI were also significantly related to obesity risk.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Breastfeeding may have a role in the attenuation of obesity in early childhood among Hispanic children. The BF promotion and support offered at WIC may have a significant role in reducing rates of early childhood obesity.