Evidence on the long-term effects of infant diet is increasing quickly. Because of the depth of detail they supply, the IFPS II and its year-6 follow-up offer a unique opportunity to examine the relationship of infant feeding with later health outcomes and behaviors. Although certainly not conclusive, these studies show that infant feeding is predictive of some later health outcomes but not others.
The study by Dr. Li and her colleagues reveals that longer breastfeeding and later introduction of foods or beverages other than breast milk were linked with lower rates of ear, throat, and sinus infections in the year before the survey. However, they found no ties with upper or lower respiratory or urinary tract infections.
Dr. Perrine and her colleagues looked at the link between breastfeeding duration and markers of a healthful or poor diet at age 6 years. Breastfeeding duration was positively associated with some markers of a healthful diet, such as higher consumption of water, fruits, and vegetables, but negatively linked with other markers of a poor diet, such as higher ingestion of sugar-sweetened beverages and juice. No connection was found, however, between breastfeeding duration and intake of milk, sweets, or savory snacks. It is not clear whether these relationships indicate the development of taste preference during infancy or a family eating pattern that occurs at various ages, but the studies do point to the need to start healthful eating behaviors early in life.
These articles embody just the beginning of the many research opportunities provided by the year-6 IFPS II follow-up. The data sets from both the IFPS II and the follow-up are available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for researchers to explore many other aspects of the prenatal and postpartum environment.
This commentary was adapted from the one accompanying these studies (Pediatrics 2014;134:S1-3). It was written by Laurence M. Grummer-Strawn, Ph.D.; Ruowei Li, M.D., Ph.D.; Cria G. Perrine, Ph.D.; and Kelley S. Scanlon, Ph.D., all of the division of nutrition, physical activity and obesity in the CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, and by Sara B. Fein, Ph.D., of McKing Consulting Corporation in Fairfax, Va. The authors reported no disclosures.
