StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...

Association between Infant Breastfeeding and Overweight in Young Children - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
The article discusses the results of a study conducted by Mary L. Hediger, PhD, Mary D. Overpeck, DrPH, Robert J. Kuczmarski, DrPH, RD, and W. June Ruan, MA. The research started with the question of whether breastfeeding can be protective against the development of overweight in children…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER98.8% of users find it useful
Association between Infant Breastfeeding and Overweight in Young Children
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Association between Infant Breastfeeding and Overweight in Young Children"

Download file to see previous pages

The objective of the study was then "to determine whether breastfeeding and its duration are associated with a reduced risk of being overweight among young children in the United States." (American Medical Association, 2001) According to the research, the data gathering proceeded by utilizing information on infant feeding and child overweight status from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). This is a cross-sectional health examination survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (NCHS/CDC) from 1988-1994.

Through a stratified, multi-stage probability design, a sample of 2685 US-born children between the ages of 3 to 5 years (36-71 months) was taken. From this sample, birth certificates, details regarding height and weight measures, and information on infant feeding were obtained. The statistical results showed that there was a weak association between duration of full breastfeeding and child body mass index (BMI). However, there were factors that were significantly associated with child overweight in the multiple logistic regression models.

By far the strongest predictor of child BMI status was the mother's concurrent BMI. Children were at moderately increased risk for being at risk of overweight with an overweight mother but nearly 3 times more likely to be at risk of overweight with maternal obesity. Furthermore, overweight in early childhood was nearly 3-fold greater with maternal overweight and more than four-fold greater with maternal obesity. The study concludes with "there are inconsistent associations among breastfeeding, its duration, and the risk of being overweight in young children.

Breastfeeding continues to be strongly recommended, but may not be as effective as moderating familial factors, such as dietary habits and physical activity, in preventing children from becoming overweight." (American Medical Association, 2001) The manner by which this research is conducted is very much ethical in the sense that there was no need to actually study and 'experiment' on the children. This would have had negative effects on the young children since their weights and eventual self-images are in question.

The use of existing records and information as well as corresponding statistical analyses have been sufficient in arriving at the conclusion. The research design which used an ethnically-diverse sample also leads to a more consistent generalization of the results.From the findings of this research, a call for the more active role of the nursing clinical practice can be very beneficial in helping a population who is increasingly having problems with early childhood overweight. Because the association between duration of breastfeeding and being at the risk of overweight is inconclusive, then the emphasis should go back to the different socio-demographic and intervening familial factors among children.

Since breastfeeding alone is not sufficient to prevent the development of weight problems at the onset of childhood, then the research leads us to the extent by which familial tendencies to obesity are genetic or associated with shared dietary and activity habits. The challenge for the

...Download file to see next pages Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Association between Infant Breastfeeding and Overweight in Young Essay”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1510435-association-between-infant-breastfeeding-and-overweight-in-young-children
(Association Between Infant Breastfeeding and Overweight in Young Essay)
https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1510435-association-between-infant-breastfeeding-and-overweight-in-young-children.
“Association Between Infant Breastfeeding and Overweight in Young Essay”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1510435-association-between-infant-breastfeeding-and-overweight-in-young-children.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Association between Infant Breastfeeding and Overweight in Young Children

Characteristics of a Healthy Diet

As children grow, their nutritional requirements change, and need balanced healthy diets for effective development.... Healthy Eating Name Institution Course Healthy Eating Connection between Nutrition and Disease There is a connection between nutrition and disease exhibited from infancy to adulthood.... There is need for one to discern between unhealthy saturated and trans-fats and healthy unsaturated and cis-fats....
7 Pages (1750 words) Research Paper

Dispelling the Myth that All Chubby babies are at Risk for Later Over-Weight and Obesity

Doctors and pediatricians will simply point out that as long as the infant is eating normally and drinking formula or breastfeeding and gaining adequate weight, there is no cause for alarm.... To deduce the predisposition for obesity in children is generally to look at the genetics of the father and mother and to understand if the parents were obese as children, they would look to their own parents as a source of information.... linical StudiesThe study entitled Infant Weight Gain and Childhood overweight Status in a Multicenter, Cohort Study, followed 27,899 eligible participants who were born full term between the years of 1959 and 1965 with a main outcome measure of having an overweight status at the age of seven with a body mass index above the 95th percentile based on the CDC's reference data....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay

Breastfeeding Management in Primary Care

Studies show that breastfed children have a higher IQ than children fed with infant formulas (Your Child will have a higher IQ 2005).... With the proper and important nutrients that a baby gets from breastfeeding, breastfed babies are also less prone to become overweight not only during infancy but also as they grow old as teenagers and adults (Benefits of Breastfeeding n.... breastfeeding, the feeding of human infants to his/her mother's breast, is one of the most important activities that a mother would give to her child....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Primary Prevention of Childhood Obesity

?? The objective of course was not just to prove that there is an existing relation between breastfeeding and obesity but to examine whether due to breastfeeding in the first six months of a baby's life, the mother become less restrictive and less controlling of their children's food intake, and they become more attuned with the children's needs, if the child is hungry or not.... Specifically, the article proves this theory by studying the association between the occurrences of breastfeeding in the babies' first six months, the extent of such breastfeeding and the mothers' actions with regard to these children's access to food after one year....
11 Pages (2750 words) Lab Report

Australian Infants: Nutrition and Breastfeeding

hellip; The author states that the Australian Breastfeeding Association and many other bona fide health institutions around the world consider breastfeeding as the best feeding practice that mothers are encouraged to comply with to ensure optimal health and well-being of their children and suggested positive effects have indeed inspired many to do so.... nbsp;Aside from the right nutrition that breast milk provides for babies, authorities believe that breastfeeding is a direct act of promoting better health and preventing illnesses in the children's later life....
7 Pages (1750 words) Assignment

Increasing Levels of Childhood Obesity

If so, what? Obesity among children is… The point of argument here is whether the control measures are the sole responsibility of parents or the government has a role to play My argument is is in favour of the role of government in response to this issue.... The fast food culture and involvement of the children less in physical activities in the present digital age is the reason responsible for the spread of this epidemic.... Type 1, diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults and earlier it was known as the juvenile diabetes (American Diabetes Association)....
5 Pages (1250 words) Term Paper

Issues with Determining Recommendations for Vitamin D Intake

Severe vitamin D deficiency results in a condition known as rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults since it is important for development and maintenance of the bone structure (Persson et al.... Upon contact with ultraviolet-B (UVB) radiation from sunlight, the human skin synthesizes Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) from 7-dehydrocholesterol....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay

Body Size and Weight Management

The author of the current paper "Body Size and Weight Management" points out that aspects of Wellness involved in Body Size and Weight Management are physical dimensions of maintaining an adequate level of body fat and intellectual awareness to analyze the media messages being given.... … Women athletes who lower their body fat ratio below 20-22% can have an increased level of bone fractures, do not have regular menstrual periods, develop amenorrhea associated with bone loss....
16 Pages (4000 words) Coursework
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us