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Weight at birth may predict overweight, obesity status in second grade
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Children born preterm and large for gestational age or at term with a high birth weight have an increased risk for overweight or obesity at second grade compared with children born small or normal for gestational age or with a low or normal birth weight, according to published findings.
Mark D. DeBoer, MD, associate professor of pediatrics in the division of pediatric endocrinology, University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville, and colleagues evaluated data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort 2011 on children born at term (n = 9,358) or preterm (n = 828) to determine the relationships between birthweight and later obesity and change in BMI z score from kindergarten to second grade. Participants were measured for weight at kindergarten, first grade and second grade.
Among participants born preterm, by second grade the prevalence of obesity was 20% among those born small for gestational age, 14.2% among those born average for gestational age and 27.8% among those born large for gestational age. The prevalence of obesity among participants born at term was 16.8% among those with low birth weight, 15.8% among those with normal birth weight and 23.1% among those with high birth weight at second grade.
The odds for later overweight or obesity were higher in preterm child born large for gestational age at each of the grade levels (adjusted ORs = 2.04-2.46) compared with those born small for gestational age or average for gestational age. Preterm participants born small for gestational age had increased odds for obesity at second grade (aOR = 2.06). Term children born with high birth weight had increased odds for overweight or obesity (aOR = 1.68-1.87) and obesity (aOR = 1.69-1.91) at all grades compared with those born with low birth weight or normal birth weight.
A significant positive relationship between birth weight and change in BMI z score between first and second grade was observed among participants born at term (P < .01). BMI z scores were higher among participants born preterm and large for gestational age compared with those born average for gestational age or small for gestational age (P < .001 for all) at all three grades. BMI z scores were also higher among participants born at term with a high birth weight compared with those with normal or low birth weight (P < .001) at all three grade levels.
“Children born with high birth weight are at higher risk for future obesity,” DeBoer told Endocrine Today. “Pediatricians and families of high birth weight children should encourage healthy lifestyle choices, like frequent physical activity and healthy diets, to try to avoid unhealthy weight gains. High birth weight is a measurable risk factor for future obesity and should trigger increased efforts to avoid excessive weight gain. We still need effective strategies to help families adhere to healthy lifestyle choices and avoid health consequences related to obesity.” – by Amber Cox
For more information:
Mark D. DeBoer, MD, can be reached at deboer@virginia.edu.
Disclosures: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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