Rapid weight gain during infancy, high BMI increase obesity odds for children
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Rapid weight gain at age 0 to 6 months and high maternal prepregnancy BMI are associated with increased odds for higher waist-to-height ratio, overweight and obesity children age 5 years, according to study findings.
“Preventive interventions should target early rapid weight gain and parental overweight and obesity,” Annelie Lindholm, PhD, senior lecturer in the School of Health and Welfare at Halmstad University and the Research and Development Center Spenshult in Halmstad, Sweden, told Healio.
Lindholm and colleagues analyzed data from the Halland Health and Growth Study, a population-based birth cohort study of children born between October 2007 and December 2008, in the county of Halland in Sweden. Weight, height and waist circumference were measured during the first 45 days after birth and again at 3 to 4, 6, 12, 18, 24, 36, 48 and 60 months. Background family data and information on each child’s nutrition, health and lifestyle were provided through parental questionnaires. Crude waist-to-height ratios and BMI values were adjusted to sex- and age-specific standard deviation scores. Rapid weight gain was defined as a change in weight standard deviation score of more than 0.67 from age 0 to 6 months and from age 6 to 12 months. Children were classified with overweight or obesity using BMI cutoff values from the International Obesity Task Force.
The findings were published in PLOS ONE.
There were 1,540 children in the study, of whom 15% had a waist-to-height ratio standard deviation score of 1 or greater, 9% had overweight according to BMI cutoff values, and 2% had obesity. Of the cohort, 3% were born small for gestational age, and 4% were large for gestational age.
After controlling for multiple variables, children had an increased likelihood for a waist-to-height ratio standard deviation score of 1 or higher at age 5 years with rapid weight gain at 0 to 6 months (adjusted OR = 1.9; 95% CI, 1.23-2.95; P = .004), higher maternal prepregnancy BMI (aOR = 1.06; 95% CI, 1.01-1.11; P = .019) and higher paternal BMI (aOR = 1.11; 95% CI, 1.01-1.21; P = .028). Increased odds for overweight or obesity at age 5 years were observed among children who had rapid weight gain at 0 to 6 months (aOR = 2.53; 95% CI, 1.53-4.2; P < .001) and 6 to 12 months (aOR = 2.82; 95% CI, 1.37-5.79; P = .005) and higher maternal prepregnancy BMI (aOR = 1.11; 95% CI, 1.06-1.17; P < .001).
Lindholm said the study did not examine interventions for reducing the risk for pediatric obesity, but the risk might be lowered by analyzing the causes related to rapid weight gain in infants and discussing the risk factors for childhood overweight and obesity with parents who are considering having children.
“Further research is required to uncover whether the risk factors we found are associated with subsequent abdominal obesity, overweight or obesity in older children and adolescents,” Lindholm said.
For more information:
Annelie Lindholm, PhD, can be reached at annelie.lindholm@hh.se.
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