Breastfeeding, Childhood Milk Consumption, and Onset of Puberty (Sep. 2012)
ABSTRACT:
In a non-Western setting, neither breastfeeding nor childhood milk consumption was associated with age at pubertal onset, suggesting that associations may vary by setting.
Methods:
•The adjusted associations of breastfeeding or milk consumption at 6 months, 3 years, and 5 years with clinically assessed age at pubertal onset (Tanner stage II) were assessed by using interval-censored regression in a population-representative Hong Kong Chinese birth cohort, “Children of 1997,” with 90% follow-up (N = 7523).
Results:
•Compared with never breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding for 3+ months was unrelated to age at pubertal onset (time ratio [TR] 1.001, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.987–1.015), as was partial breastfeeding for any length of time or exclusive breastfeeding for <3 months (TR 1.003, 95% CI 0.996–1.010), adjusted for gender, socioeconomic position, birth weight-for-gestational age, birth order, second-hand smoke exposure, and mother’s age and place of birth.
•Daily milk consumption at 6 months (TR 1.004, 95% CI 0.991–1.018), 3 years (TR 0.995, 95% CI 0.982–1.008), or 5 years (TR 0.998, 95% CI 0.988–1.009) was also unrelated to age at pubertal onset compared with milk consumption for >1 time per week at the corresponding ages.
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