Breastfeeding, HIV exposure, childhood obesity, and prehypertension: A South African cohort study
PLoS Medicine Sep 07, 2019
Houle B, et al. - Researchers, for the first time, gathered evidence on the association between breastfeeding and later childhood obesity and blood pressure (BP)—especially from HIV-prevalent areas where, until recently, HIV-infected women were discouraged from breastfeeding, but obesity is increasingly prevalent. The researchers collected data over 3 visits on HIV-negative children aged 7-11 years in rural South Africa in the Siyakhula population-based prospective cohort study (2012–2014). Outcome variables used were weight (BMI), fat, and BP, as well as incorporation of early life (including mother’s age at delivery and HIV status) and current life factors (including maternal education and current BMI). Observations revealed the independent correlation of breastfeeding with reduced childhood obesity for both HIV-exposed and unexposed children. Findings supported the significance of promoting optimal nutrition throughout the life course, starting with continued breastfeeding, in order to tackle the growing obesity epidemic. In the era of widespread effective antiretroviral treatment for HIV-infected women for life, further support for the recommendation of breastfeeding for all women was provided by this work.
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