Relationship Between Exclusive Breastfeeding and Body Mass Index in 3-6 Years Old Children in Bojnourd in 2019

Obesity is increasing epidemically at the age of 3-6 years, and one of the most critical risk factors of childhood overweight is the reduction of breastfeeding. Childhood obesity is also a strong predictor of obesity in adulthood. This study aimed to determine the relationship between exclusive breastfeeding and body mass index in children 3-6 years old.

In this retrospective observational study, which was carried out on the population of children 3 to 6 years old in Bojnourd in 2019, 445 children were selected through multi-stage sampling from kindergartens and kindergartens in Bojnourd. The required information was then obtained through the demographic profile checklist and the baby mass index. Data were analyzed by SPSS 19 software using statistical tests.

There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups despite the prolonged duration of exclusive breastfeeding in the overweight group.

Among the variables studied, higher body mass index in the mother has a direct relationship with the weight gain of children. Weight loss in neonates with obesity shows the opposite. This means that the average birth weight in the low birth weight group was less than the average birth weight in desirable and overweight children.