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Abstract
Introduction: The maternal breastfeeding (MB) is act exceptional to the health of newborn, since breast milk (BM) contains all the nutrients considered of unique importance in the context of the infant's growth and development. Childhood obesity (CO), in turn, is a chronic-degenerative disease and multifactorial that characterized for the accumulation excessive of tissue body fat, being considered of the biggest public health problems worldwide.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study has been carried out in primary healthcare centers of Lahore between 1 January 2025 to 30 June 2025.1100 number of obese children selected for the study. A free informed consent was taken after having the approval from Ethical review committee of University of Lahore, Pakistan.
Results: The study demonstrates a strong inverse relationship between breastfeeding duration and the risk of childhood obesity. Among children who were never breastfed, nearly 30% were obese, compared to 20.8% in those breastfed for less than six months, and only 12.9% in those breastfed for six months or longer. This pattern supports the hypothesis that longer breastfeeding provides a protective effect against excessive weight gain during early childhood.
Discussion: The unique composition of lactating milk is capable of playing a significant role in the metabolic imprinting process, since the protective effect of lactating milk: contributes to the better development of self-regulation of food intake; participates in the process of “metabolic programming”, altering, for example, the number and/or size of fat cells; interferes with hypothalamic development and, therefore, us centers hypothalamic regulators of appetite.
Conclusion: Childhood obesity is a worldwide epidemic that has become increasingly prevalent over the years being considered important problem of health public. Multiple factors are intimately associates the process, standing out the non-breastfeeding and/or the breastfeeding period insufficient of time.