title: Effect of breast-feeding on plasma cholesterol and weight in young adults.
abstract: The relation between breast-feeding and plasma cholesterol level in adult life was examined in a longitudinal study of a sample of people born in 1946. One hundred and seventy-two subjects whose breast-feeding history had been recorded during infancy were examined when they were 32 years old. Women who had been breast-fed had significantly lower mean plasma cholesterol than women who had been bottle-fed (5.4 mmol/l compared with 5.9 mmol/l). For men the difference was smaller and not significant. An unexpected finding was the higher mean weight and skinfold thickness in men who had been breast-fed. These results support the hypothesis that factors acting very early in life affect the risk of disease in adults.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001835:Body Weight; D001903:Bottle Feeding; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012885:Skinfold Thickness; D012923:Social Class; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D002784:Cholesterol