Prolonged exclusive breastfeeding may offer some benefits to newborns, but there’s no evidence to indicate it reduces the risks of obesity or elevated blood pressure in adolescence, according to findings from the Promotion of Breastfeeding Intervention Trial. The study, which included over 13,000 children with a median age of 16.2 years, compared children who were part of a program that encouraged increased breastfeeding and exclusivity to controls and concluded:

• The odds ratio of developing overweight or obesity was 1.14 in the intervention group, compared to controls.
• The breastfeeding campaign had no significant impact on blood pressure by the time children reached age 16 years.

The investigation led researchers to conclude that prolonged exclusive breastfeeding may actually increase the likelihood of overweight or obesity later in life.