Breastfeeding duration is not associated with offspring inflammatory bowel disease risk in three population-based birth cohorts

Background and aims Breastfeeding is critical for offspring health and development. While many observational studies report a protective effect between breastfeeding and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the relationship is not well-understood. Methods We used prospectively collected data from three population-based birth cohorts (Danish National Birth Cohort, Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort, and All Babies in Southeast Sweden) and cross-linked national registers to ascertain the impact of breastfeeding duration on offspring IBD risk in each country, using adjusted Cox proportional regression analyses. We performed meta-analyses to determine pooled estimates. Results We included 148,737 offspring and 169,510 offspring in analyses of exclusive and any breastfeeding duration, respectively. During median follow-up of 16.3 to 22.3 years, between 1996 and 2021, 543 offspring were diagnosed with IBD. In each country, there was no association between exclusive breastfeeding duration and offspring IBD risk after adjusting for birth year (Denmark), offspring sex, parental IBD status, maternal education, smoking during pregnancy, age at delivery, mode of delivery, preterm birth, and small for gestational age. The pooled adjusted hazard ratio for IBD was 1.24 (95% CI 0.94, 1.62, Q =0.16, I2= 0.0%) and 1.02 (95% CI 0.85, 1.21, Q=1.45, I2= 0.0%) among offspring breastfed exclusively for ≥6 months and <4 months, respectively, compared to 4-5 months. Similarly, we found null associations in pooled analyses of any breastfeeding duration and IBD, subtypes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, as well as in cohort-specific analyses. Conclusion In prospectively collected data from three population-based birth cohorts, the duration of exclusive or any breastfeeding was not associated with offspring IBD risk.