Cortisol in Human Milk Predicts Child BMI

Abstract

Objective

Breastfeeding is linked to lower rates of childhood obesity. Human milk contains cortisol, known to regulate glucose storage and metabolism. We aimed to test the hypothesis that early exposure to cortisol in human breast milk helps to modulate infant BMI trajectories over the first two years of life.

Methods

Growth curve modeling was used to examine whether infant exposure to cortisol in human milk at 3 months predicted changes in child body mass index percentile (BMIP) at 6, 12, and 24 months of age in 51 breastfeeding mother-child pairs.

Results

Infants exposed to higher milk cortisol levels at 3 months were less likely to exhibit BMIP gains over the first 2 years of life, compared to infants exposed to lower milk cortisol. By age 2, infants exposed to higher milk cortisol levels had lower BMIPs then infants exposed to lower milk cortisol. Milk cortisol was a stronger predictor of BMIP change in girls than boys.

Conclusions

Cortisol exposure through human milk may help to program metabolic functioning and childhood obesity risk. Further, because infant formula contains only trace amounts of glucocorticoids, this finding represents a novel biological pathway through which breastfeeding may protect against later obesity.