Influence of early feeding practices on biomarkers of cardiovascular disease risk in later life

Background: An analysis of risk factors linked to ischemic heart disease (IHD) shows a strong link between these risk factors and early feeding practices. Aim of the work: The aim of this study was to evaluate cardiac biomarkers that could predict cardiovascular disease (lipid profile and highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) for both mothers and their children and demonstrate their associations with early feeding practices. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study comprising one hundred twenty pairs of mother and their children, one half of whom were exclusively breastfed for 6 months, the other half their children were formula fed from birth. The groups were matched for age and sex. Full feeding history was taken for children and assessments of risk behaviour of cardiovascular disease including Anthropometric measurements to assess Body Mass Index, blood pressures and blood samples for lipid profile and hs-CRP for both mothers and children. Results: There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding hs-CRP as it was higher in mothers and their children who were artificially feed than mothers and their children who were breastfeed (m = 3.3 + 2.2–1.72 ± 1.96, 2.08 ± 1.64–0.84 ± 1.09 respectively), however there was no a statistically significant difference for both mothers and their children regarding lipid profile. Conclusion: Early feeding practices can influence the development of cardiovascular diseases as breast fed infants and their mothers had lower hs- CRP levels which is considered as a biomarker of CVD risk