title: Breastfeeding, early nutrition, and adult body fat.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the association between breastfeeding and adult body fatness, adjusting for nutritional intake in early childhood.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nutritional intakes of 73 healthy infants born in 1984 who participated in the 2-decade-long Longitudinal Study of Nutrition and Growth in Children (Etude Longitudinale Alimentation Nutrition Croissance des Enfants [ELANCE]) were estimated at age 10 months and again at age 2 years. Breastfeeding was defined as any breastfeeding, including partial breastfeeding, regardless of duration. At age 20 years, weight, height, subscapular skinfold thickness (SF), and fat mass (assessed via bioelectrical impedance analysis) were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this sample, 64% of the children had been breastfed. In linear regression models adjusted for mother's body mass index and father's profession, breastfeeding was not associated with any of the body fat measurements at 20 years (all P > .05). After adding nutritional intake variables (total energy and % energy from nutrients) to the models, breastfeeding became significantly associated with lower SF at 20 years. In particular, breastfed subjects had significantly lower % SF at 20 years after adjustment for energy and % fat intakes at 2 years of age, (β = -28.25% SF; 95% CI, -50.28% to -6.21%; P = .013) or when adjusting for energy and % carbohydrates at 2 years of age (β = -28.27% SF; 95% CI, -50.64% to -5.90%; P = .014).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Breastfeeding was not associated with adult body fatness taking into account the usual confounding factors. However, after also adjusting for nutritional intake covariates, a protective effect of breastfeeding emerged. Early nutrition needs to be taken into account when examining the long-term health effects of breastfeeding.
authors.affiliation: Research Team Nutritional Epidemiology, Center of Research in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Paris 13, Sorbonne-Paris, Paris, France; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1153, Bobigny, France; National Institute of Health and Medical Research, Bobigny, France; National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts, Bobigny, France; University of Paris 5, Sorbonne-Paris, Surveillance Unit and Nutritional Epidemiology, Bobigny, France; University of Paris 7, Sorbonne-Paris, Surveillance Unit and Nutritional Epidemiology, Bobigny, France.
authors.forename: Sandrine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Péneau
authors.affiliation: Research Team Nutritional Epidemiology, Center of Research in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Paris 13, Sorbonne-Paris, Paris, France; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1153, Bobigny, France; National Institute of Health and Medical Research, Bobigny, France; National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts, Bobigny, France; University of Paris 5, Sorbonne-Paris, Surveillance Unit and Nutritional Epidemiology, Bobigny, France; University of Paris 7, Sorbonne-Paris, Surveillance Unit and Nutritional Epidemiology, Bobigny, France; University of Paris 13, Sorbonne-Paris, Surveillance Unit and Nutritional Epidemiology, Bobigny, France; Institute for Public Health Surveillance, Bobigny, France; Department of Public Health, Avicenna Hospital, Bobigny, France.
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hercberg
authors.affiliation: Research Team Nutritional Epidemiology, Center of Research in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Paris 13, Sorbonne-Paris, Paris, France; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1153, Bobigny, France; National Institute of Health and Medical Research, Bobigny, France; National Conservatory of Arts and Crafts, Bobigny, France; University of Paris 5, Sorbonne-Paris, Surveillance Unit and Nutritional Epidemiology, Bobigny, France; University of Paris 7, Sorbonne-Paris, Surveillance Unit and Nutritional Epidemiology, Bobigny, France.
authors.forename: Marie-Françoise
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Rolland-Cachera
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012737:Sex Factors; D012885:Skinfold Thickness