Abstract
Several studies have suggested that breastfeeding is related to infant autonomic functioning. The authors investigated whether this is a causal relation. In all, 444 mothers reported breastfeeding practices 2 mo postpartum. Infant autonomic functioning was assessed by heart rate variability at age 14 mo, after discontinuation of breastfeeding. The dose-dependent association between breastfeeding and infant autonomic functioning was tested with linear regression models adjusted for multiple confounders. The authors investigated the relation of fruitpurée consumption with infant autonomic functioning. Fruitpurée consumption has similar socioeconomic epiphenomena but is not related via the same causal mechanism to autonomic regulation as breastfeeding. Nonbreastfed infants had high sympathetic modulation [7.87 log (ms2)/SD, 95% CI: 7.71–8.02], partially breastfed infants had intermediate sympathetic modulation [7.75 log (ms2)/SD, 95% CI: 7.51–7.82], sympathetic modulation of exclusively breastfed infants was low [7.63 log (ms2)/SD, 95% CI: 7.50–7.77]. However, this association could be explained by socioeconomic confounders. Furthermore, fruitpurée consumption was similarly associated with reduced infant sympathetic modulation. The association between breastfeeding practices and infant sympathetic modulation was accounted for by socioeconomic and environmental factors. We found a similar association between fruitpurée consumption and autonomic functioning, further suggesting that the association between breastfeeding and infant autonomic functioning is noncausal.
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Abbreviations
- HF:
-
high frequency
- LF:
-
low frequency
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Acknowledgements
The Generation R Study is conducted by the Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdamin close collaboration with the Faculty of Social Sciences of the Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Municipal Health Service Rotterdam area, the Rotterdam Homecare Foundation, and the Stichting Trombosedienst & Artsenlaboratorium Rijnmond (STAR), Rotterdam. We thank the contribution of general practitioners, hospitals, midwives, and pharmacies in Rotterdam.
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Supported by the Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, the Erasmus University Rotterdam, and the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMW), by Unilever S.A. for nutritional research in the Generation R study with a grant, and by an independent research grant of the European Community's 7th Framework Programme (FP7/2008-2013) under grant agreement no. 212652 (NUTRIMENTHE Project “The Effect of Diet on the Mental Performance of Children”).
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Dierckx, B., Tharner, A., Tulen, J. et al. Spot the Red Herring: Breastfeeding, Fruitpurée, and Infant Autonomic Functioning—The Generation R Study. Pediatr Res 70, 417–422 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1203/PDR.0b013e31822a3389
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/PDR.0b013e31822a3389
