Aim: To assess the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and other coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors in adults who were either breast- or bottle-fed in early infancy.
Methods: Subjects were 3614 men and women born 1914-1935. Information on infant feeding patterns was gathered from original midwife's birth records. Adult ESR, triglycerides, total cholesterol, blood pressure, fasting glucose, weight and height were measured.
Results: The number of subjects bottle-fed in early infancy was 186 (5.2%). The geometric mean of ESR was 15.9% (95% CI 1.8%-31.8%) higher in those who were bottle-fed compared with those breastfed, p = 0.026, when adjusting for age and gender. Those who had been breastfed in early infancy had on average 2.9% higher BMI in adulthood (p = 0.012). The hazard ratio for event of CHD for bottle-fed persons versus breastfed was 1.18 (95% CI 0.88-1.57), adjusting for potential confounding factors.
Conclusions: Higher adult ESR, a moderate risk factor for CHD, among those bottle-fed compared to those breastfed in early infancy might indicate a long term anti-inflammatory influence of breast milk.