Infant-feeding patterns are related to blood cholesterol concentration in prepubertal children aged 5-11y: The Fleurbaix-Laventie Ville Sante study

Objective: Several studies, mainly in animals, but also in humans, have sho wn that diet in infancy is associated with differences in blood cholesterol concentrations later in life. The objective was to examine this relationsh ip in children aged 5-11y after taking into account their current diet and parental hypercholesterolemia. Setting and subjects: 251 prepubertal boys and 223 prepubertal girls enroll ed in the schools in two little towns in northern France. Design and methods: Cross-sectional evaluation including measurements of ch olesterol concentrations on capillary blood and a single weekday food intak e record. Infant feeding patterns were obtained by questionnaire given to t hr mothers Results: 50% of the children had bren breast-fed for a median duration of l ess than 2 months. Cow's milk was introduced in the diet as whole milk for 33% of the children. After adjustment for age, height, and sibship, capilla ry cholesterol concentration was lower in boys who had been breast fed (geo metric mean: 4.4, 95% confidence interval of the mean: 4.2-4.6 mmol/L) than in those fed with formula (4.7, 4.5-4.8 mmol/L. P < 0.03). In girls, breas t/feeding had no significant effect on blood cholesterol concentration, whi ch was associated with the type of cow's milk given in infancy. whole milk: 4.9 mmol/L (4.7 - 5.2); totally or partially skimmed milk: 4.5 mmol/L (4.2 -4.6). P < 0.008. The current saturated fat and cholesterol intakes and par ental hypercyholesterolemia were associated with current blood cholesterol concentration in children, but did not modify its relationship with infant feeding patterns. Conclusion: Results of the present study suggest that diet in infancy may h ave longstanding effect on lipid metabolism.