JUDUL

Managing and Preventing Childhood Obesity: Exclusive Breastfeeding in the First 6 Month of Children’s
Life

TULISAN PENDEK

As the world developed day by day and the variation of food increased, cases of obesity
and overweight also increased. There are several famous cases of obesity in children shows up
all over the world during this year. Obesity in children and baby is dangerous. It can happen
continuously or even become worse as they grow up. Obesity affects the health of the children
and also their social life, because it makes them difficult to move and play. At some worst cases,
children with obesity can’t go anywhere and only taking bed-rest all day long. It can’t be happen
because childhood is the most important moment to develop their knowledge and brain-growth.
One alternative that people believe could decrease the growth of childhood obesity is exclusive
breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding or nursing is giving food and nutrients from mother’s milk or breast milk
to baby. Breast milk is natural milk from human and it has a lot of benefits for the child. Giving
children only pure breast milk without other nutrition or food at all beside it called exclusive
breastfeeding. World Health Organization suggests ‘mothers worldwide to exclusively
breastfeed infants for the child's first six months to achieve optimal growth, development and
health’ (WHO, 2011). Otherwise, child with formula-fed or bottle-fed has greater chances to
obesity. Formula milk contains too much nutrients for less than 6 months baby which can causes
obesity.

‘A study in Canada shows that children who were only formula fed or who were
combination fed for <6 months were more likely to be overweight or obese relative to
children who were only breastfed (OR 1.29, 95 % CI 1.04–1.60 and OR 1.35, 95 % CI
1.09–1.69, respectively). When examining overweight and obese children separately,
those who were only formula fed were more likely obese (OR 1.57, 95 % CI 1.10–2.25)
relative to their peers who were only breastfed.’ (Rositter, M.D. et al. 2015)

According to Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2007), there are several
biological explanations of why does breastfeeding may reduce the risks of obesity . First,
because breastfed infants control the amount of milk they consume, their self-regulation of
energy intake, unlike bottle fed infants, they can respond to internal hunger and cues that they are
full. Second, formula milk contains higher protein which may stimulate the secretion of insulin.
Higher insulin concentrations stimulate more deposition of fat tissue, which in turn increases
weight gain, obesity, and risk of type 2 diabetes. The third possibility explained by CDC is about
leptin (a hormone that is thought to inhibit appetite and control body fatness). One study found
that after controlling for confounding variables such as Body Mass Index (BMI), children who
had the highest intake of breast milk early in life had more favorable leptin concentrations
relative to their fat mass.

All the explanation above supporting people’s statement that exclusive breastfeeding on
children could reduce the risk of childhood obesity. But it still need more research to prove that
exclusive breastfeeding can prevent children from obesity and overweight. Last but not least,
some research also indicates that there are some variables that could affect the relation
between exclusive breastfeeding and obesity, such as race and ethnic. (Ehrenthal, D.B., Wu, P,
& Trabulsi, J., 2016). That is one of reasons if exclusive breastfeeding couldn’t work out for
preventing some children from obesity. Although Ehrenthal, D.B, Wu, P, & Trabulsi, J implied
that ‘mother’s race and ethnic could differ the protective effect of breastfeeding against early
childhood overweight and obesity’, choosing exclusive breastfeeding instead of formula
feeding or combination feeding is still the best way to avoid obesity.

Exclusive breastfeeding world-widely campaigned due to reducing the risks of

childhood obesity. According to Moreno, M. A., Furtner, Fred, & Rivara, F. P. (2011), a
research study in August 2011’s Archives describes a nurse home visiting program designed to
improve breastfeeding rates. Also, they suggest several sources to help mothers who
breastfeeding their child to make this effort successful, such as a link to The American Academy
of Pediatrics which describe how to learn about breastfeeding, La Leche League organization’s
information, and they recommend mothers to consults to the Lactation consultants which have
special training in breastfeeding. All the effort to promote breastfeeding is evidence that
however, breastfeeding is necessary. In conclusion, exclusive breastfeeding is one good and
simple way to manage and prevent childhood obesity.

SEARCH ENGINE

(Google Scholar) www.scholar.google.com

(SearchMedica) www.searchmedica.co.uk

(PubMed) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed

(Springer) www.springer.com
 DAFTAR PUSTAKA AVAILABLE FROM
5 http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statement
s/2011/breastfeeding_20110115/en/

WHO, 2004. Exclusive breastfeeding for six

months best for babies everywhere [Online]
(Updated 15 January 2011) accessed from
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November 2016]

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10995
4 -015-1717-y

Rositter, M.D. et al. 2015. Breast, Formula and

Combination Feeding in Relation to Childhood
Obesity in Nova Scotia, Canada abstract
Maternal and Child Health Journal [Online]
Vol 19. pp 2048-2056. doi: 10.1007/s10995-
015-1717-y [10 November 2016]

1 https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/nutrition/pdf
/breastfeeding_r2p.pdf

CDC. 2007. Does breast feeding reduces the risk of

pediatric overweight? Research to Practice Series,
No. 4 [Online] accessed from
https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/nutrition/pdf
/breastfeeding_r2p.pdf [10 November 2016]
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10995
2 -016-2015-z

Ehrenthal, D.B., Wu, P, & Trabulsi, J. 2016.

Differences in the Protective Effect of
Exclusive Breastfeeding on Child Overweight
and Obesity by Mother’s Race abstract
Maternal and Child Health Journal [Online]
Vol 20. pp 1971-1979. doi:10.1007/s10995-
 016-2015-z [11 November 2016]

3 http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/f
ullarticle/1107563
Moreno, M. A., Furtner, Fred, & Rivara, F. P.
2011. Breastfeeding as Obesity
Prevention. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med.
[Online] 165(8):772.
doi:10.1001/archpediatrics.2011.140 [11
November 2016]

KATA KUNCI

Obesity - Overweight

Breastfeeding - Breast milk - Human milk

Exclusive breastfeeding

Bottle feeding - Formula feeding - Formula milk

Body mass index

Children - Baby - Infants