Type of delivery and complementary feeding: impact on overweight in prepubertal children

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate association between type of delivery and nutrition in the first year of life with overweight in prepubertal children. METHODS: Observational and cross-sectional study carried out in childhood obesity research clinic with eutrophic and over-weight children aged five to 11 years. The two groups were compared regarding variables related to birth and child nutrition in the first year of life, and the association of these vari-ables with overweight was evaluated. RESULTS: 143 children were studied, 32 (22.4%) in the eutrophic group and 111 (77.6%) in the overweight group. In the comparison of groups, a significant difference (p<0.05) was found in relation to mean age, type of deliv-ery, breastfeeding in the first six hours of life and median age of introduction of solids. Multiple logistic regression showed an association between cesarean delivery and over-weight. CONCLUSION: It is observed that natural childbirth decreases by 79% the chances of a child turning overweight. The study shows the influence of type of delivery on the future health of newborns, and its protection against the development of childhood obesity.