Breastfeeding May Lower Childhood Obesity Risk

A new study completed in Seoul’s Ewha Womans University discovered yet another benefit of breastfeeding – it may protect high birth weight babies from childhood obesity. The study examined data from approximately 38,000 participants over the years of 2008-2016. Infants were assigned to a group by birth weight: low, normal, and high.

Researchers found that children in the high birth weight category who were exclusively breastfeed until six months of age were significantly less likely to be overweight at age 6, compared to children who were not breastfed. The findings also showed an increased risk for childhood obesity with high birth weight compared to babies with a normal birth weight.

These findings were presented at the ENDO 2018 Conference in Chicago, IL on March 17, 2018.