Cow’s milk fat and child adiposity: a prospective cohort study

Abstract Background International guidelines recommend that children older than 2 years of age consume reduced fat (0.1-2%) instead of whole cow’s milk (3.25% fat) to prevent childhood obesity, but these guidelines are consensus-based and have a low GRADE level of evidence. Objectives The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the longitudinal relationship between cow’s milk fat (0.1-3.25%) intake and Body Mass Index z-score (zBMI) in children aged 9 months to 8 years. The secondary objective was to determine the relationship between cow’s milk fat intake and odds of overweight (zBMI >1) and obesity (zBMI > 2). Design/Methods A prospective cohort study of children 9 months to 8 years of age was conducted through the TARGet Kids! primary care research network. The primary exposure was cow’s milk fat consumption (skim (0.1%), 1%, 2%, or whole [3.25%]), measured by parental report. The primary outcome was zBMI, an age and sex adjusted measure of child adiposity. Height and weight were measured by trained research assistants and zBMI was determined according to the WHO growth standards. A linear mixed effects model and logistic generalized estimating equations were used to determine the longitudinal association between cow’s milk fat intake and child zBMI. Results Among children aged 9 months to 8 years of age (N= 7467), each 1% increase in cow’s milk fat consumed was associated with a 0.05 lower zBMI score (95% CI -0.07 to -0.03, p< 0.0001). Compared to children who consumed reduced fat (0.1-2%) cow’s milk, there was evidence that children who consumed whole cow’s milk had 16% lower odds of overweight (OR=0.84, 95% CI 0.77 to 0.91), p< 0.0001) and 18% lower odds of obesity (OR= 0.82, 95% CI 0.68 to 1.00, p= 0.047). Conclusion Guidelines for reduced fat instead of whole cow’s milk during childhood may not be effective in preventing overweight or obesity. Randomized controlled trial data is needed to understand which cow’s milk fat optimizes child growth, development and nutrition.

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Mislabelled cow's milk allergy in infants: a prospective cohort study

Archives of Disease in Childhood ◽

10.1136/archdischild-2012-302721 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 98 (6) ◽

pp. 408-412 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

A. Elizur ◽

M. Cohen ◽

M. R. Goldberg ◽

N. Rajuan ◽

Y. Katz

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Prospective Cohort Study ◽

Prospective Cohort ◽

Cow’S Milk Allergy ◽

Cow’S Milk ◽

Milk Allergy ◽

Cow's Milk ◽

Cow's Milk Allergy

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Continuous Cow’s Milk Protein Consumption from Birth and a Decrease in Milk Allergy: a Prospective Cohort Study Related to the PETIT Study

Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology ◽

10.1016/j.jaci.2017.12.275 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 141 (2) ◽

pp. AB85 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Osamu Natsume ◽

Kiwako Yamamoto-Hanada ◽

Shigenori Kabashima ◽

Junko Nakazato ◽

Masami Narita ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Prospective Cohort Study ◽

Prospective Cohort ◽

Milk Protein ◽

Cow’S Milk ◽

Milk Allergy ◽

Protein Consumption ◽

Cow's Milk ◽

Cow’S Milk Protein

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Consumption of Cow’s Milk in Early Childhood and Fracture Risk: A Prospective Cohort Study

American Journal of Epidemiology ◽

10.1093/aje/kwz216 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 189 (2) ◽

pp. 146-155

Author(s):

Riley M Allison ◽

Catherine S Birken ◽

Gerald Lebovic ◽

Andrew W Howard ◽

Mary R L’Abbe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Early Childhood ◽

Cohort Study ◽

Relative Risk ◽

Fracture Risk ◽

Milk Fat ◽

Fat Content ◽

Cow’S Milk ◽

Adjusted Relative Risk ◽

Cow's Milk ◽

Milk Volume

Abstract Cow’s milk is consumed by most North American children, yet the relationships between the volume and fat content of cow’s milk consumed and childhood fracture risk are unclear. Our primary objectives in this study were to evaluate whether the volume or fat content of cow’s milk consumed at 1–3 years of age was associated with the risk of fracture between 3 and 10 years of age. This was a prospective cohort study of 2,466 children enrolled in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, between 2008 and 2016. The primary exposure was volume of cow’s milk consumed between the ages of 1 and 3 years, and the secondary exposure was average percentage of milk fat consumed by each child during the same period. The primary outcome was a parental report of child fracture at ages 3–10 years. In the primary and secondary adjusted analyses, no association between milk volume and fracture risk (adjusted relative risk = 1.04, 95% confidence interval: 0.87, 1.26) or between milk-fat content and fracture risk (adjusted relative risk = 1.05, 95% confidence interval: 0.84, 1.31) was observed. In this study, we did not identify a protective association of early childhood cow’s milk volume or fat consumption with fracture risk in later childhood. Future prospective research is needed to understand whether cow’s milk is beneficial for fracture prevention through the life course.

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