Associations between breastfeeding, childhood BMI and pubertal onset: findings from a prospective cohort study

Key Points

• Later onset of puberty is linked to exclusive breastfeeding and longer breastfeeding duration.
• Findings indicate that prepubertal BMI does not mediate the relationship between breastfeeding and pubertal onset.
• The analysis highlighted the distinct role of breastfeeding in developmental timing, suggesting it may influence hormonal factors.
• No significant mediating effect of prepubertal BMI was observed, emphasizing direct associations with breastfeeding variables.