Background: WHO estimates that 22 million under-five children worldwide are overweight. Childhood obesity is rising to epidemic proportions in the developing world, reflecting multitude of underlying reasons; that need to be studied. Objectives: The study aims to investigate whether breast-feeding and complementary feeding practices during infancy constitute a risk factor for overweight at preschool age and identify possible determinants that may affect adiposity levels. Material and Methods: This data was a part of a case-control study of 266 children (3-5 years) from urban poor settings of Delhi, India. The cases comprised of overweight children, as defined by Body Mass Index (BMI) for age greater than or equal to the 85th percentile of WHO standards and controls with BMI less than 85th percentile. The main exposure analysed was breast-feeding and complementary feeding parameters. Results: Birth weight and birth order were significantly associated with the child's BMI at 3-5 years of age (p=0.023 and p=0.034, respectively). The combined odds of birth order and child’s BMI were found to be 3.7 OR (2.34- 10.74 CI) for overweight/ obesity in pre-schoolers. Cross-tabulation of breast-feeding and complementary feeding practices revealed that odds for an overweight/obese child were high 3.18 OR (2.02- 5.04 CI) with early introduction of complementary foods. Colostrum consumption had no significant effect on weight status whereas introduction of complementary feeding in the first 6 months increased the odds of being overweight/obese by 1.86 OR (1.11- 9.93 CI). Conclusion: To conclude, including growth trajectory, appropriate breastfeeding and complementary feeding may have a protective role against overweight/obesity during early childhood.
