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Infant milk feeding and bone health in later life: findings from the Hertfordshire Cohort Study

Infant milk feeding and bone health in later life: findings from the Hertfordshire Cohort Study
Infant milk feeding and bone health in later life: findings from the Hertfordshire Cohort Study

Summary: Using data from the Hertfordshire cohort study, this study examined the effect of breastfeeding and bottle feeding on adult lumbar spine and femoral neck bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD). The type of infant milk feeding was significantly associated with lumbar spine BMD in males. Introduction: Using data from the Hertfordshire cohort study (HCS), this study aims to examine the effect of infant milk feeding on bone health in later life by comparing the effect of breastfeeding and bottle feeding on lumbar spine and femoral neck BMC and BMD. Methods: Information about infant milk feeding, birth weight (kg) and weight at 1 (kg) was collected by health visitors between 1931 and 1939 in Hertfordshire. BMC and BMD measurements were taken by DXA scan between 1998 and 2004. Linear regression models adjusted for conditional weight at 1, age at DXA scan, sex, adult BMI, smoking behaviour, alcohol consumption, physical activity, dietary calcium, and prudent diet score. Results: Infant milk feeding was significantly associated with lumbar spine BMD (b = − 0.028; 95% CI, − 0.055; − 0.000; p value, 0.047) in males. On average, males who consumed breastmilk alternatives in infancy had lower lumbar spine BMD measurements than those who were fed only breastmilk. These associations remained significant in fully adjusted models. There were no significant associations between infant milk feeding and bone health for females. Conclusions: Significant associations between infant milk feeding and lumbar spine BMD in males indicate that breastmilk may be protective for the bone health of male babies. The evidence presented here underscores the potential lifelong benefits of breastfeeding and may highlight the differences between osteoporotic risk factors for males and females.

Bone and bones, Bottle feeding, Breastfeeding, Osteoporosis
0937-941X
709-714
Carter, Sarah
a5111bba-b67c-47ec-b74a-b0bcef477fe6
Parsons, Camille
9730e5c3-0382-4ed7-8eaa-6932ab09ec15
Robinson, Sian
ba591c98-4380-456a-be8a-c452f992b69b
Harvey, Nicholas
ce487fb4-d360-4aac-9d17-9466d6cba145
Ward, Kathryn
39bd4db1-c948-4e32-930e-7bec8deb54c7
Cooper, Cyrus
e05f5612-b493-4273-9b71-9e0ce32bdad6
Dennison, Elaine
ee647287-edb4-4392-8361-e59fd505b1d1
Carter, Sarah
a5111bba-b67c-47ec-b74a-b0bcef477fe6
Parsons, Camille
9730e5c3-0382-4ed7-8eaa-6932ab09ec15
Robinson, Sian
ba591c98-4380-456a-be8a-c452f992b69b
Harvey, Nicholas
ce487fb4-d360-4aac-9d17-9466d6cba145
Ward, Kathryn
39bd4db1-c948-4e32-930e-7bec8deb54c7
Cooper, Cyrus
e05f5612-b493-4273-9b71-9e0ce32bdad6
Dennison, Elaine
ee647287-edb4-4392-8361-e59fd505b1d1

Carter, Sarah, Parsons, Camille, Robinson, Sian, Harvey, Nicholas, Ward, Kathryn, Cooper, Cyrus and Dennison, Elaine (2020) Infant milk feeding and bone health in later life: findings from the Hertfordshire Cohort Study. Osteoporosis International, 31 (4), 709-714. (doi:10.1007/s00198-020-05296-1).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Summary: Using data from the Hertfordshire cohort study, this study examined the effect of breastfeeding and bottle feeding on adult lumbar spine and femoral neck bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD). The type of infant milk feeding was significantly associated with lumbar spine BMD in males. Introduction: Using data from the Hertfordshire cohort study (HCS), this study aims to examine the effect of infant milk feeding on bone health in later life by comparing the effect of breastfeeding and bottle feeding on lumbar spine and femoral neck BMC and BMD. Methods: Information about infant milk feeding, birth weight (kg) and weight at 1 (kg) was collected by health visitors between 1931 and 1939 in Hertfordshire. BMC and BMD measurements were taken by DXA scan between 1998 and 2004. Linear regression models adjusted for conditional weight at 1, age at DXA scan, sex, adult BMI, smoking behaviour, alcohol consumption, physical activity, dietary calcium, and prudent diet score. Results: Infant milk feeding was significantly associated with lumbar spine BMD (b = − 0.028; 95% CI, − 0.055; − 0.000; p value, 0.047) in males. On average, males who consumed breastmilk alternatives in infancy had lower lumbar spine BMD measurements than those who were fed only breastmilk. These associations remained significant in fully adjusted models. There were no significant associations between infant milk feeding and bone health for females. Conclusions: Significant associations between infant milk feeding and lumbar spine BMD in males indicate that breastmilk may be protective for the bone health of male babies. The evidence presented here underscores the potential lifelong benefits of breastfeeding and may highlight the differences between osteoporotic risk factors for males and females.

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070120 R.3 OI-Infant feeding and bone health in later life - Accepted Manuscript
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Accepted/In Press date: 9 January 2020
e-pub ahead of print date: 15 February 2020
Published date: 1 April 2020
Additional Information: Publisher Copyright: © 2020, International Osteoporosis Foundation and National Osteoporosis Foundation.
Keywords: Bone and bones, Bottle feeding, Breastfeeding, Osteoporosis

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 437155
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/437155
ISSN: 0937-941X
PURE UUID: 2d00c7d7-452a-4e14-a87e-50f759080cc5
ORCID for Sian Robinson: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-1766-7269
ORCID for Nicholas Harvey: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-8194-2512
ORCID for Kathryn Ward: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-7034-6750
ORCID for Cyrus Cooper: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-3510-0709
ORCID for Elaine Dennison: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-3048-4961

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Date deposited: 20 Jan 2020 17:31
Last modified: 18 Mar 2024 05:07

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Contributors

Author: Sarah Carter
Author: Camille Parsons
Author: Sian Robinson ORCID iD
Author: Nicholas Harvey ORCID iD
Author: Kathryn Ward ORCID iD
Author: Cyrus Cooper ORCID iD
Author: Elaine Dennison ORCID iD

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