Thread by @LLLGB

.@MeghanAzad from @UManitoba & @CHILDStudy is speaking now about Breastfeeding and its association with lower blood pressure in the child #bfconf

@MeghanAzad @umanitoba @CHILDSTUDY .@MeghanAzad quote from Cesar Victoria et al. from the 2016 @TheLancet Breastfeeding Series "Human breastmilk is not only a perfectly adapted nutritional supply for the infant, but probably the most specific personalised medicine that he or she is likely to receive...." #bfconf

@MeghanAzad @umanitoba @CHILDSTUDY @TheLancet "... given at a time when gene expression is being fine tuned for life." #bfconf

@MeghanAzad @umanitoba @CHILDSTUDY @TheLancet .@MeghanAzad new Manitoba Interdisciplinary Lactation Centre #MILC featuring infant feeding & lactation database, human milk biorepository, Manitoba Population Research Data Repository & MILC Club for researchers, clinicians, HP partners to co-develop projects #bfconf

.@MeghanAzad Is breastfeeding linked to lower blood pressure later in life? mixed evidence due to inconsistent definitions of breastfeeding: any? ever? exclusive? duration? This question affects lots of other bf related eresearch as well #bfconf

@MeghanAzad .@MeghanAzad @CHILDSTUDY has been following children for 12 years now, looking at how genes and the evironment (indoor & outdoor) influence child health & development. Have taken samples of blood, urine, stool, nasal swabs, dust and *breastmilk*. 3600 families, 40+ researchers

.@MeghanAzad @CHILDSTUDY questionnaires asked many questions on breastfeeding. Study looking at breast(milk) feeding + maternal & environmental factors (nutrition, smoking, birth mode, obesity etc.) + child allergies, asthma, obesity, cardiovascular health, cognitive development

@MeghanAzad @CHILDSTUDY .@MeghanAzad: They found a dose reponse - more bf means more benefits for wheezing infancy & healthier body mass index. They were expecting similar effect for blood pressure & cardiovascular health at 3 years

@MeghanAzad @CHILDSTUDY .@MeghanAzad: about 18% were exclusively bf at 6 months with another 58% still receiving some breastmilk. Their data allowed them to also look at the "just one bottle" and "just one breastfeed" babies. ANY breastfeeding was associated with lower blood pressure, even a few days!

@MeghanAzad @CHILDSTUDY .@MeghanAzad paper with blood pressure response here ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JA… Thought they would find a dose-related response but that was not the case. Even the "just one feed" babies saw the benefit for their blood pressure #bfconf

.@MeghanAzad their findings suggest there is something special and important about those early feeds and colostrum that has an impact on cardiovascular health #EveryDropCounts #bfconf

@MeghanAzad .@MeghanAzad lessons from the study: nuance matters. Details from feeding in hospital were key. Reference group also matters - had been grouping together babies that had had any breastmilk in the first 3 months. They had the detailed data to break the groups down further #bfconf

@MeghanAzad .@MeghanAzad clinical implications: blood pressure tracks from early childhood to adulthood so supporting bf initiation could positively impact cardiovascular health later in life. Highlights need for *immediate postpartum lactation support* to facilitate provision of colostrum

.@MeghanAzad you can see the @CHILDSTUDY key discoveries related to breastfeeding here childstudy.ca/portfolio/key-… #bfconf

Video about the @CHILDSTUDY here 👇🏻

https://twitter.com/hulldoulabfps/status/1595783028541906947