As it turns out, exclusively breastfeeding a child many not be the best solution to increasing bone health, according to a new study.
"In this prospective cohort study, ever breast-feeding as compared with never breast-feeding was positively associated with bone mass in six-year-old children," said authors from the University Medical Center Rotterdam. "But exclusive breast-feeding for 4 months or longer was not positively associated with childhood bone outcomes."
While early life nutrition comes as a significant factor in obtaining peak bone mass in adulthood and future risks of developing osteoporosis, breastfeeding may not be the best option for a child.
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In fact, according to NutraIngredients.com, "Components of breast milk may be beneficial to bone development but some nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D, may be higher in formula milk."
Noting their research in the British Journal of Nutrition, the team of scientists said that it could be considered that late introduction of solid food are unfavorably linked to bone development.
Moreover, introduction of solid food early on has been associated with increased risk of obesity, which could potentially better influence bone development "through mechanical loading by body weight."
#Repost @tribedemama with @repostapp ・・・ What breastfeeding a toddler looks like :: BEAUTIFUL. || Chiara and her two year old son photographed by @jadebeallphotography in Italy. #attachmentparenting #mother #child #breastfeedwithoutfear #breastfeeding #breastisbest #toddler #mothernature #naturesgift #liquidgold A photo posted by Leah (@doula_leah) on Feb 15, 2016 at 8:34pm PST
The team of researchers used a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan to examine the bone mineral density (BMD), bone mineral content (BMC) and bone area (BA) of the participants aged six. The results were interesting, too:
- Children who had never been breastfed had lower BMD, BMC and BA compared to children who had "ever" been breastfed at some point.
- Children who consumed formula milk and breast milk within the first four months has higher BMD and BMC, and a lower BA, as compared to children who were exclusively breastfed.
- Breastfeeding for more than four months did not show any association with more positive bone outcomes.
- Early introduction (before 4 months of age) of solid food was shown to have higher BMD and BMC, compared to solid food introduction past four months old.
The study enlisted 5,000 children as participants of the Generation R study, which is "a Netherlands population-based prospective cohort study from fetal life onwards."
Information has been collated from the mothers through a questionnaire on breastfeeding duration and exclusiveness, as well as the time in which solid foods were first introduced.
