BACKGROUND: The relation between postpartum weight retention and breastfeeding practices is controversial. OBJECTIVE: Defining breastfeeding as the period when a child is exclusively or predominantly breastfed, we studied the association between breastfeeding duration and postpartum weight retention. DESIGN: We followed 405 women aged 18-45 y who were assessed at 0.5, 2, 6, and 9 mo postpartum. The outcome variable, postpartum weight retention, was expressed as the difference between the observed weight at each follow-up and the reported prepregnancy weight. The main statistical procedure used was the longitudinal mixed-effects model. RESULTS: Mean postpartum weight retention at the end of the study was 3.1 kg. Single women aged > or = 30 y retained more weight than did younger single women or married women. The combined effect of breastfeeding duration and percentage of body fat at baseline was significant only for women with < 30% body fat. According to the model's prediction, when women who had 22% body fat and breastfed for 180 d were compared with those who had 22% body fat and breastfed for only 30 d, each month of breastfeeding contributed -0.44 kg to postpartum weight retention. When only the percentage of body fat was varied, the total effect was 3.0, 1.7, 1.2, and 0.04 kg in women with 18%, 25%, 28%, and 35% body fat, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These results support the hypothesis of an association between breastfeeding and postpartum weight retention and suggest that encouraging prolonged breastfeeding might contribute to decreases in postpartum weight retention.
BACKGROUND: The relation between postpartum weight retention and breastfeeding practices is controversial. OBJECTIVE: Defining breastfeeding as the period when a child is exclusively or predominantly breastfed, we studied the association between breastfeeding duration and postpartum weight retention. DESIGN: We followed 405 women aged 18-45 y who were assessed at 0.5, 2, 6, and 9 mo postpartum. The outcome variable, postpartum weight retention, was expressed as the difference between the observed weight at each follow-up and the reported prepregnancy weight. The main statistical procedure used was the longitudinal mixed-effects model. RESULTS: Mean postpartum weight retention at the end of the study was 3.1 kg. Single women aged > or = 30 y retained more weight than did younger single women or married women. The combined effect of breastfeeding duration and percentage of body fat at baseline was significant only for women with < 30% body fat. According to the model's prediction, when women who had 22% body fat and breastfed for 180 d were compared with those who had 22% body fat and breastfed for only 30 d, each month of breastfeeding contributed -0.44 kg to postpartum weight retention. When only the percentage of body fat was varied, the total effect was 3.0, 1.7, 1.2, and 0.04 kg in women with 18%, 25%, 28%, and 35% body fat, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These results support the hypothesis of an association between breastfeeding and postpartum weight retention and suggest that encouraging prolonged breastfeeding might contribute to decreases in postpartum weight retention.
Authors: Maria da Conceição M da Silva; Ana Marlúcia Oliveira Assis; Sandra Maria C Pinheiro; Lucivalda Pereira Magalhães de Oliveira; Thomaz Rodrigues P da Cruz Journal: Matern Child Nutr Date: 2013-08-14 Impact factor: 3.092
Authors: Nicole R Stendell-Hollis; Patricia A Thompson; Julie L West; Betsy C Wertheim; Cynthia A Thomson Journal: J Womens Health (Larchmt) Date: 2012-12-31 Impact factor: 2.681
Authors: Ellen Althuizen; Mireille Nm van Poppel; Jeanne H de Vries; Jacob C Seidell; Willem van Mechelen Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2011-03-16 Impact factor: 3.295
Authors: Richard F Armenta; Donna Kritz-Silverstein; Deborah Wingard; Gail A Laughlin; Wilma Wooten; Elizabeth Barrett-Connor; Maria Rosario Araneta Journal: Obesity (Silver Spring) Date: 2014-12-17 Impact factor: 5.002