Can breastfeeding in the first six months prevent childhood obesity?

Can breastfeeding in the first six months prevent childhood obesity?

Obesity’ is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of ≥25kg/m2 (World Health Organisation 2015). In the past decade, throughout much of the world, the rates of obesity in children in particular have increased to epidemic proportions (Lefebvre & John 2012, p. 386).

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The World Health Organisation (2015) estimates that 42 million children under the age of 5 years are overweight or obese worldwide and in Britain, overweight and obesity affects nearly one-third of children aged 2 to 15 years (Health and Social Care Information Centre 2009).

since obesity in childhood is strongly correlated with serious disease and increased risk of mortality throughout life (Yan et al. 2014, p. 3), and because of the significant direct costs of obesity on health services and societies globally (Department of Health 2011), strategies to prevent childhood obesity are of paramount importance.

Research has suggested that breastfeeding for the first six months may be protective against and, therefore, prevent obesity in childhood (Lefebvre & John 2012, p. 386).

Through a critical evaluation of this research, this paper will answer the question of whether breastfeeding in the first six months can prevent childhood obesity……..

The beneficial effects of breastfeeding for children are well-established in the literature. High-quality studies have demonstrated that children who are breastfed have a reduced risk of ear infections (Duncan et al. 1993, p. 867), respiratory infections (Bachrach, Schwarz & Bachrach 2003, p. 237), necrotizing enterocolitis (Lucas & Cole 1990, p. 1519), gastroenteritis (Chien 2001, p. 69), diabetes (Owen et al. 2006, p. 1043), atopic dermatitis (Gdalevich et al 2001, p. 520) and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) (Vennemann et al. 2005, p. 655). Breast milk is not only rich in protective antibodies and beneficial bacteria, it is nutritionally-balanced and adapts to meet an infant’s changing needs (National Health Service 2015). Research has therefore suggested that another significant benefit of breastfeeding may be that is acts as a protective factor against obesity in childhood.

Kramer was the first to report that breastfeeding may result in a “significantly reduced” risk of obesity in children (1981, p. 4).

In the next two decades, a number of similar studies also suggested an association between breastfeeding and a reduction in the risk of childhood obesity. In the mid-2000s this research was collated into three seminal meta-analyses which concluded that, overall, breastfeeding for the first six months did reduce the risk of childhood obesity.

For example, Arenz et al. (2004, p. 1247) found that obesity had a “small but consistent” protective effect against obesity in children. This was supported by Owen et al. (2005, p. 1367), who demonstrated a small positive correlation between breastfeeding and a reduction in the risk of childhood obesity. Harder et al. (2005, p. 397) also found that the duration of breastfe………..