Breastfeeding Impact on Kidney Functions: A Systematic Review

Abstract

IntroductionBreast milk depict a huge maternal and pediatric benefits, including a long-term impact on cardiovascular and metabolic health. We conducted a systematic review to explore the relevant sudies exploring the link between breastfeeding and future renal outcome Material and MethodsA systematic search was carried out on Medline* through PubMed* (with adapted filters) via the query: (breastfeeding[Title/Abstract] OR breastfeeding[MeSH Terms]) AND (kidney[MeSH Terms] OR kidney[Title/Abstract]) ResultsWe retrieved 12 articles, including only 3 investigational studies: - In 2017, the European Childhood Obesity Project Group found that either protein intakes or formula types modulated the infant calciuria. The authors proposed new cut-off values of calciuria based on infant feeding types - In a 2015 Dutch study encompassing more than 5000 children, breastfeeding in the first 4 months was associated with larger combined kidney volume and lower eGFR (both P<0.05) - A 2010 European multicenter clinical trial found that a higher protein content of the infant formula increases kidney size at 6 months of life, whereas a lower protein supply achieves kidney size indistinguishable from that of healthy breastfed infants, highliting the potential harm of early protein overdose. DiscussionFew papers explored the potential impact of breastfeeding on kidney health. The low protein content of human milk seems beneficial with positive subclinical changes in kidney volume and function in childhood. ConclusionBreastfeeding would have favorable kidney outcome in childhood, but data is sparse. Further investigations are needed to better understand the potential impact of breastfeeding on the future renal prognosis