Top

Osteoporosis International

Published in:

01-05-2013 | Original Article

The association between breastfeeding, maternal smoking in utero, and birth weight with bone mass and fractures in adolescents: a 16-year longitudinal study

Authors: G. Jones, K. L. Hynes, T. Dwyer

Published in: Osteoporosis International | Issue 5/2013

Abstract

Summary

The aim of this birth cohort study was to determine whether early life factors (birth weight, breastfeeding, and maternal smoking) were associated with bone mass and fractures in 16-year-old adolescents. The results suggest that breastfeeding is associated with higher bone mass and lower fracture risk at age 16 but not in utero smoking or birth weight.

Introduction

There are limited data on early life influences on bone mass in adolescence but we have previously reported in utero smoking, breastfeeding, and birth weight were associated with bone mass at age 8.

Methods

Birth weight, breastfeeding intention and habit, and maternal smoking during pregnancy were assessed at phase one in 1988–1999 and by recall during phase two in 1996–1997. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured by dual-energy X-ray densitometry. Fractures were assessed by questionnaire. Subjects included 415 male and female adolescents from Southern Tasmania representing 29 % of those who originally took part in a birth cohort study in 1988 and 1989.

Results

Breastfeeding (assessed in a number of ways) was associated with a 2–3 % increase in BMD at all sites apart from the radius and around a one third reduction in fracture risk which persisted after adjustment for confounders. In univariate analysis, birth weight was associated with BMD at the hip, radius, and total body but this did not persist in multivariate analysis and there was no association with fracture. Smoking in utero had no association with BMD at any site or fracture.

Conclusions

Breastfeeding is associated with a beneficial increase in bone mass at age 16 and a reduction in fracture risk during adolescence. The association previously observed at 8 years of age is no longer present for birth weight or smoking in utero.

Jones G, Nguyen T, Sambrook PN, Kelly PJ, Gilbert C, Eisman JA (1994) Symptomatic fracture incidence in elderly men and women: the Dubbo Osteoporosis Epidemiology Study (DOES). Osteoporo Int 4:277–282CrossRef

Nguyen T, Sambrook P, Kelly PJ, Jones G, Lord S, Freund J, Eisman J (1993) Prediction of osteoporotic fractures by postural instability and bone density. BMJ 307:1111–1115PubMedCrossRef

Marshall D, Johnell O, Wedel H (1996) Meta-analysis of how well measures of bone mineral density predict occurrence of osteoporotic fracture. BMJ 312:1254–1259PubMedCrossRef

Hansen MA, Kirsten O, Riis BJ, Christiansen C (1991) Role of peak bone mass and bone loss in postmenopausal osteoporosis: 12 years study. BMJ 303:961–964PubMedCrossRef

Valimaki M, Karkkainen M, Allardt C, Laitinen K, Alhava E, Heikkinen J, Impivaara O, Mäkelä P, Palmgren J, Seppänen R (1994) Exercise, smoking and calcium intake during adolescence and early adulthood as determinants of peak bone mass. BMJ 309:230–235PubMedCrossRef

Welten DC, Kemper HC, Post GB, Van Mechelen W, Twisk J, Lips P, Teule GJ (1994) Weight-bearing activity during youth is a more important factor for peak bone mass than calcium intake. J Bone Min Res 9:1089–1096CrossRef

Sabatier J-P, Guaydier-Souquieres, Laroche D, Benmalek A, Fournier L, Guillon-Metz F, Delavenne J, Denis AY (1996) Bone mineral acquisition during adolescence and early adulthood: a study in 574 healthy females 10–24 years of age. Osteoporos Int 6:141–148PubMedCrossRef

Barker DJP (ed) (1993) Fetal and infant origins of adult disease. BMJ Press, London

Schanler RJ, Burns PA, Abrams SA, Garza C (1992) Bone mineralisation outcomes in human milk-fed preterm infants. Pediatr Res 31:583–586PubMedCrossRef

10.

Chan GM (1993) Growth and bone mineral status of discharged very low birth weight infants fed different formulas or human milk. J Pediatr 123:439–443PubMedCrossRef

11.

Chan GM, Mileur LJ (1985) Posthospitalisation growth and bone mineral status of normal preterm infants. AJDC 139:896–898PubMed

12.

Mimouni F, Campaigne B, Neylan M, Tsang RC (1993) Bone mineralisation in the first year of life in infants fed human milk, cow-milk formula, or soy-based formula. J Pediatr 122:348–354PubMedCrossRef

13.

Venkataraman PS, Tsang RT (1995) Calcium, magnesium and phosphorus in the nutrition of the newborn. J Am Coll Nutr 14:439–447PubMed

14.

Bishop NJ, Dahlenburg SL, Fewtrell MS, Morley R, Lucas A (1996) Early diet of preterm infants and bone mineralisation at age five years. Acta Paediatr 85:230–236PubMedCrossRef

15.

Fewtrell MS, Williams JE, Singhal A, Murgatroyd PR, Fuller N, Lucas A (2009) Early diet and peak bone mass: 20 year follow-up of a randomized trial of early diet in infants born preterm. Bone 45:142–149PubMedCrossRef

16.

Harvey NC, Robinson SM, Crozier SR, Marriott LD, Gale CR, Cole ZA, Inskip HM, Godfrey KM, Cooper C (2009) Southampton Women’s Survey Study Group. Breast-feeding and adherence to infant feeding guidelines do not influence bone mass at age 4 years. Br J Nutr 102:915–920PubMedCrossRef

17.

Jones G, Riley M, Dwyer T (2000) Breastfeeding in early life and prepubertal bone mass: a longitudinal study. Osteoporos Int 2:146–152CrossRef

18.

Ma D, Jones G (2002) Clinical risk factors but not bone density are associated with prevalent fractures in prepubertal children. JPCH 38:497–500

19.

Mølgaard C, Larnkjær A, Mark AB, Michaelsen KF (2011) Are early growth and nutrition related to bone health in adolescence? The Copenhagen Cohort Study of infant nutrition and growth. AJCN 94:1865S–1869SCrossRef

20.

Pirilä S, Taskinen M, Viljakainen H, Kajosaari M, Turanlahti M, Saarinen-Pihkala UM, Mäkitie O (2011) Infant Milk feeding influences adult bone health: a prospective study from birth to 32 years. PLoS One 6:e19068PubMedCrossRef

21.

Godfrey K, Walker-Bone K, Robinson S, Taylor P, Shore S, Wheeler T, Cooper C (2001) Neonatal bone mass: influence of parental birthweight, maternal smoking, body composition, and activity during pregnancy. J Bone Miner Res 16:1694–1703PubMedCrossRef

22.

Jones G, Riley M, Dwyer T (1999) Maternal smoking during pregnancy, growth and bone mass in prepubertal children. J Bone Miner Res 14:147–152

23.

Micklesfield L, Levitt N, Dhansay M, Norris S, van der Merwe L, Lambert E (2006) Maternal and early life influences on calcaneal ultrasound parameters and metacarpal morphometry in 7- to 9-year-old children. J Bone Miner Metab 24:235–242PubMedCrossRef

24.

Jones IE, Williams SM, Goulding A (2004) Associations of birth weight and length, childhood size, and smoking with bone fractures during growth: evidence from a birth cohort study. Am J Epidemiol 159:343–350PubMedCrossRef

25.

Cooper C, Westlake S, Harvey N, Javaid M, Dennison E, Hanson M (2006) Review: developmental origins of osteoporotic fracture. Osteoporos Int 17:337–347PubMedCrossRef

26.

Jones G, Dwyer T (2000) Birth weight, birth length and bone density in prepubertal children: evidence for an association that may be mediated by genetic factors. Calc Tiss Int 67:304–308CrossRef

27.

Dwyer T, Ponsonby AL, Newman NM, Gibbons LE (1991) Prospective cohort study of prone sleeping position and sudden infant death syndrome. Lancet 337:1244–1247PubMedCrossRef

28.

Miettinen OS (1985) Theoretical epidemiology: principles of occurrence research in medicine. Wiley, New York

29.

Goulding A, Jones IE, Taylor RW et al (2000) More broken bones: a 4-year double cohort study of young girls with and without distal forearm fractures. J Bone Miner Res 15:2011–2018PubMedCrossRef

30.

Ma D, Jones G (2003) The association between bone mineral density, metacarpal morphometry and upper limb fractures in children: a population based case–control study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 88:1486–1491PubMedCrossRef

Title: The association between breastfeeding, maternal smoking in utero, and birth weight with bone mass and fractures in adolescents: a 16-year longitudinal study
Authors: G. Jones
K. L. Hynes
T. Dwyer
Publication date: 01-05-2013
Publisher: Springer-Verlag
Published in: Osteoporosis International / Issue 5/2013
Print ISSN: 0937-941X
Electronic ISSN: 1433-2965
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-012-2207-3

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

The association between breastfeeding, maternal smoking in utero, and birth weight with bone mass and fractures in adolescents: a 16-year longitudinal study

Abstract

Summary

Introduction

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Summary

Introduction

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 5/2013

Incidence of hip fractures in Greece during a 30-year period: 1977–2007

Drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) in patients receiving strontium ranelate

Serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor therapy in late-life depression is associated with increased marker of bone resorption

Mediterranean diet and incidence of hip fractures in a European cohort

Effect of whole body vibration (WBV) therapy on bone density and bone quality in osteopenic girls with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a randomized, controlled trial

Sport-specific association between exercise loading and the density, geometry, and microstructure of weight-bearing bone in young adult men