Original Investigation

Breastfeeding, Prepubertal Adiposity, and Development of Precocious Puberty

JAMA Network Open 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.27455

August 18, 2025 at 11:00 AM EDT

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Is exclusive breastfeeding in early infancy associated with central precocious puberty?In this cohort study of 322 731 children, those who were exclusively breastfed had a lower risk of central precocious puberty than those who were formula- or mixed-fed. This association was mediated by prepubertal adiposity.These findings suggest that feeding practices in early life are associated with pubertal timing both directly and through childhood adiposity.

Corresponding Authors: Yong Joo Kim, MD, PhD (kyjoo@hanyang.ac.kr), and Seung Yang, MD, PhD (jxisfriend@hanyang.ac.kr), Department of Pediatrics, Hanyang University College of Medicine, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea.

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