ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: Breastfeeding is one of the most effective preventive measures of childhood obesity and many other chronic diseases. The effect of breastfeeding vs formula feeding in changing infant`s body composition remains unclear.

Aim and Methods: The objective of this review is to update and summarize the recent literature (Pubmed, Google scholar, Scopus and Research gate in the past 10 years) on studies investigating the differences in body composition, in relation to IGF1 and cGP concentrations in breastfed vs formula fed infants.

Results: Breast fed infants (n= 117) had lower fat mass (FM) percentage versus exclusively formula-fed infants (n= 239). Exclusively formula-fed from birth doubles the risk of early rapid growth between birth and two months, which increased the odds of being overweight or obese at 24 months. Formula-fed infants gained more weight and BMI through 7 months of age, the weight gain was faster than linear growth (1 study). A meta-analysis of 15 studies reported that in formula-fed infants, FFM was higher at 3-4 months, 8-9 months and 12 months and FM was lower at 3-4 months and 6 months compared to BF infants. Conversely, at 12 months, FM mass was higher in formula-fed infants than in BF infants. In 507 infants, higher IGF-1 during early infancy was associated with higher weight at 13 months but lower weight at 3 and 5 years of age. Cyclic glycine-proline (cGP) is a natural nutrient of breast milk and plays a role in regulating the function of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Higher (cGP) was associated with lower weight across the 5 years but with higher BMI at 5 years. In 675 unselected infants at ages 3 and 12 months, those who were formula milk-fed had higher IGF-I concentrations at 3 months, and they showed greater gains in weight, length, BMI, and adiposity between age 3 and 12 mo. In a large cohort Korean study, (547,669 infants), BF children were shorter and lighter by 3.5 years and 4.5 years versus formula fed children. Full BF for 6 months (compared to less than 1 month) eliminated the positive relation of high birth weight and rapid weight gain on the fat mass index at 3 years

Conclusion: Formula-fed infants have higher risk for early rapid growth and increased the odds of being overweight or obese at 24 months compared to Breast fed infants,