Prolonged bottle feeding and the association with overweight and obesity -- a retrospective study of women, infant, and children program enrolled participants three and four years of age

This study investigated the connection between prolonged baby bottle use and weight status among Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program enrolled participants 3 and 4 years of age in Portage County, Wisconsin. WIC participants were enrolled in the study if they were 1) a resident of Portage County, WI; 2) 3 and 4 years of age; and 3) not exclusively breastfed up to 14 months of age. These inclusion criteria yielded a study population of 254 children. This study utilized a non-experimental quantitative causal comparative research design. To determine if a causal relationship occurred between adiposity and prolonged bottle use, an odds ratio was calculated. The odds ratio was also used to determine if there was a relationship between prolonged bottle use and gender specific BMI. Bottle use was significantly associated with obesity (greater than or equal to 95th percentile) in males, but not with overweight ( greater than or equal to85th percentile) or obesity (greater than or equal to95th percentile) in females. Finding prolonged bottle use had an effect on weight status among the heaviest study participants is consistent with findings from other researchers and documented trends among obese children