Breastfeeding duration and offspring conduct problems: The moderating role of genetic risk

Abstract

RationaleA sizable body of research has examined associations between breastfeeding and various facets of offspring development, including childhood behavioral problems. Notwithstanding the number of studies on the topic, breastfeeding has not consistently been linked to child misbehaviors. Moreover, empirical examinations of whether breastfeeding is differentially predictive of conduct problems among individuals with varying degrees of genetic risk are lacking. ObjectiveThe present study examines whether a short duration of breastfeeding and genetic risk interact to predict conduct problems during childhood. MethodsA genetically informative design is employed to examine a subsample of twins from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study: Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), a nationally representative sample of American children. ResultsThe findings suggest that a shorter duration of breastfeeding only enhances the risk of offspring conduct problems among children who possess high levels of genetic risk. Conversely, longer breastfeeding durations were found to protect against childhood behavioral problems when genetic risk was high. ConclusionsIndicators of genetic risk may help to distinguish individuals whose behavioral development is most sensitive to the duration of breastfeeding. Future research should seek to replicate and extend these findings by considering genetic factors as potential markers of differential susceptibility to breastfeeding duration.