Breast-feeding has little effect on blood pressure in later life

Question

Is breast feeding, compared with bottle feeding with formula milk, associated with lower mean blood pressure in later life?

Study design

Systematic review with meta-analysis.

Main results

Twenty four studies were identified (12 cross-sectional studies, 11 cohort studies and one randomised controlled trial). Average systolic blood pressure was significantly lower in people who were breast fed as an infant compared with infants that were bottle fed (−1.10 mmHg, 95% CI -1.78 to -0.42 mmHg). There was no significant difference in diastolic blood pressure between feeding groups. However, there was significant heterogeneity across studies (see Notes), so these results should be interpreted with caution.

Authors’ conclusions

Breast feeding in infancy has at best, a modest effect on systolic blood pressure in later life compared with bottle feeding.