ArticleInternational breastfeeding journal2023
Infant feeding practices and autism spectrum disorder in US children aged 2-5 years: the national survey of children's health (NSCH) 2016-2020.
Article in International breastfeeding journal, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.
- Association between breastfeeding and neurodevelopmental outcomes after late preterm birth.Pregnancy (Hoboken, N.J.) · 2026Article
- Breastfeeding Journeys: Comparing Mothers' Experiences with Autistic and Neurotypical Infants.Journal of autism and developmental disorders · 2026Article
- Impact of Breastfeeding Practices on Autistic Traits in Chinese Children Aged from 3 to 4 Years: Cross-Sectional Study.Nutrients · 2025Article
- Correction: Infant feeding practices and autism spectrum disorder in US children aged 2-5 years: the national survey of children's health (NSCH) 2016-2020.International breastfeeding journal · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
10 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo investigate the relationship between infant feeding practices and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among children aged 2-5 years in the United States (US).
methodsData from the 2016-2020 National Survey of Children's Health, a nationally representative cross-sectional survey, were utilized for this study. Questionnaires were administered to parents of children aged 2-5 years to gather information on ASD diagnosis, infant feeding practices, and demographic factors (e.g., child sex, ethnic group, and maternal age at birth). Logistic regression with sample weights was employed to assess the association between infant feeding practices and ASD, while controlling for demographic variables. Polynomial regression models were used to examine trends in exclusive breastfeeding and ever breastfeeding rates among children with and without ASD.
resultsA total of 35,050 children aged 2-5 years were analyzed, including 616 diagnosed with ASD, after excluding participants with missing information on breastfeeding and ASD diagnosis. Of these children with ASD, 76.6% (n = 472) had a breastfeeding history, with 67.5% (n = 416) engaged in partial breastfeeding and 9.1% (n = 56) exclusively breastfed. Adjusted odds ratios for each additional month of breastfeeding compared to never being breastfed were 0.98 (95% CI, 0.96-1.01). The adjusted odds ratios for breastfeeding durations of > 0-6 months, > 6-12 months, > 12-24 months, and > 24 months were 0.81 (95% CI, 0.50-1.31), 0.65 (95% CI, 0.36-1.18), 0.81 (95% CI, 0.44-1.49), and 0.48 (95% CI, 0.23-1.01), respectively. Compared to children who were never breastfed, the adjusted odds ratio for children who were ever breastfed was 0.74 (95% CI, 0.47-1.18). Among children with ASD, the proportion of ever breastfeeding declined from 82.0% in 2017 to 64.3% in 2020, while exclusive breastfeeding decreased from 12.0% in 2016 to 4.2% in 2020. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Although no significant association was found between infant feeding practices and ASD among US children aged 2-5 years, the rates of breastfeeding, particularly exclusive breastfeeding, were suboptimal among children with ASD. This highlights the need for specific policies and practices to promote and support breastfeeding among parents of children with ASD or those at high risk of having a child with ASD.
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Registered trials
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