Feeding practices in early life and later intake of fruit and vegetables among Japanese toddlers: the Osaka Maternal and Child Health Study
AbstractObjectiveA growing body of evidence from Western countries shows that infant feeding practices are associated with later childhood dietary habits, but little is known about these relationships in non-Western countries with different food cultures. We examined the association of breast-feeding duration and age at introduction of solid foods with later intake of fruit and vegetables among Japanese toddlers.DesignInformation on breast-feeding duration, age at introduction of solid foods and child’s intake frequency of fruit and vegetables were collected with a self-administered questionnaire at 16–24 months postpartum. Logistic regression analysis was used to calculate odds ratios of low intake (<1 time/d) of fruit or vegetables for each infant feeding practice.SettingJapan.SubjectsJapanese mother–child pairs (n 763) from a prospective birth cohort study.ResultsNeither breast-feeding duration nor age at introduction of solid foods was associated with fruit intake at 16–24 months of age. Breast-feeding duration, but not age at introduction of solid foods, was associated with later intake of vegetables. When breast-feeding duration was categorized into two groups with the cut-off at 6 months, children who were breast-fed for ≥6 months had a significantly decreased risk of low intake of vegetables (OR=0·53; 95 % CI 0·34, 0·84) than those breast-fed for <6 months. This association was independent of potential confounders including maternal education and maternal vegetable intake (OR=0·59; 95 % CI 0·36, 0·97).ConclusionsThis finding suggests that ≥6 months of breast-feeding may prevent low intake of vegetables in early childhood among Japanese toddlers.
