Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Breastfeeding in early life is associated with lower risk of heart disease in later life, but the minimum duration of breastfeeding required is unknown. To explore this, we used data from the Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) Study, were we investigated the association of breastfeeding and blood pressure at 3 years of age. In the CHILD birth cohort (n=2,382), infant feeding was reported prospectively and documented from hospital records. Blood pressure and body mass index (BMI) were measured at 3 years of age. The associations between breastfeeding and blood pressure were explored using regression models and taking into account potential confounding factors. Nearly all children (97.9%) were breastfed, of which 98 (4.2%) briefly received breast milk only in hospital. Blood pressure was significantly higher in children who were never breastfed (mean systolic/diastolic 103/60 mmHg) compared to those who were ever breastfed (99/58 mmHg), including those who briefly received breast milk in hospital only (99/57 mmHg). These associations were independent of maternal age, education, ethnicity, pre-pregnancy BMI, pre-eclampsia and infant sex, gestational age, birth weight, and current BMI. Among breastfed children, the duration and exclusivity of breastfeeding was not associated with blood pressure. In conclusion, any breastfeeding, regardless of duration or exclusivity, was associated with lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure at the age of 3 years. Ongoing research in the CHILD study will examine the components of human milk that underlie this association.