title: Breastfeeding, complementary feeding, overweight and obesity in pre-school children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the association of overweight and obesity with breastfeeding and complementary feeding in pre-school children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study with 566 children, enrolled in private schools of the city of São Paulo, Southeastern Brazil, in 2004-2005. The dependent variable was overweight and obesity. Body Mass Index percentile curves were employed to classify children's nutritional status, considering values > or =P85 and <P95 as overweight, and values > or =P95 as obesity. The following explanatory variables were analyzed: child and family socio-demographic characteristics; birth weight; parents' nutritional status; breastfeeding; complementary feeding; and current feeding. Analysis of association between explanatory variables and outcome was performed with simple logistic regression and multiple logistic regression with hierarchical model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalence of overweight and obesity in the population studied was 34.4%. The following were protective factors against overweight and obesity: exclusive breastfeeding for six months or more (95% CI [0.38;0.86]; OR=0.57; p=0.02) and breastfeeding for more than 24 months (95% CI [0.05;0.37]; OR=0.13; p=0.00).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results suggest that breastfeeding can protect children against overweight and obesity, thus representing yet another advantage of maternal milk.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Doutorado em Saúde Pública, Departamento de Saúde Materno- Infantil, Faculdade de Saúde Pública, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Viviane Gabriela Nascimento
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: José Maria Pacheco de
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Sonia Buongermino de
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Souza
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001724:Birth Weight; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012016:Reference Values; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors