OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a rapid rate of weight gain in early infancy is associated with overweight status in childhood. DESIGN: Prospective, cohort study from birth to age 7 years. SETTING: Twelve sites across the United States. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-seven thousand, eight hundred ninety-nine (27 899) eligible participants born at full term between 1959 and 1965. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Overweight status at age 7 years, defined by a body mass index above the 95th percentile of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reference data. RESULTS: In the 19 397 participants with complete data (69.6%), the prevalence of overweight status at age 7 years was 5.4%. The rate of weight gain during the first 4 months of life (as 100 g/month) was associated with being overweight at age 7 years, after adjustment for several confounding factors: odds ratio: 1.38; 95% confidence interval: 1.32-1.44. This association was present in each birth weight quintile, and remained significant after adjustment for the weight attained at age 1 year (odds ratio: 1.17; 95% confidence interval: 1.11-1.24). CONCLUSIONS: A pattern of rapid weight gain during the first 4 months of life was associated with an increased risk of overweight status at age 7 years, independent of birth weight and weight attained at age 1 year. These findings may lead to new hypotheses regarding the cause of childhood obesity, which may contribute to our understanding of this increasing public health problem in the United States.
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether a rapid rate of weight gain in early infancy is associated with overweight status in childhood. DESIGN: Prospective, cohort study from birth to age 7 years. SETTING: Twelve sites across the United States. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-seven thousand, eight hundred ninety-nine (27 899) eligible participants born at full term between 1959 and 1965. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Overweight status at age 7 years, defined by a body mass index above the 95th percentile of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reference data. RESULTS: In the 19 397 participants with complete data (69.6%), the prevalence of overweight status at age 7 years was 5.4%. The rate of weight gain during the first 4 months of life (as 100 g/month) was associated with being overweight at age 7 years, after adjustment for several confounding factors: odds ratio: 1.38; 95% confidence interval: 1.32-1.44. This association was present in each birth weight quintile, and remained significant after adjustment for the weight attained at age 1 year (odds ratio: 1.17; 95% confidence interval: 1.11-1.24). CONCLUSIONS: A pattern of rapid weight gain during the first 4 months of life was associated with an increased risk of overweight status at age 7 years, independent of birth weight and weight attained at age 1 year. These findings may lead to new hypotheses regarding the cause of childhood obesity, which may contribute to our understanding of this increasing public health problem in the United States.
Authors: Ian M Paul; Jennifer S Savage; Stephanie L Anzman; Jessica S Beiler; Michele E Marini; Jennifer L Stokes; Leann L Birch Journal: Obesity (Silver Spring) Date: 2010-08-19 Impact factor: 5.002
Authors: Vitaly Volberg; Kim G Harley; Raul S Aguilar; Lisa G Rosas; Karen Huen; Paul Yousefi; Veronica Davé; Nguyet Phan; Robert H Lustig; Brenda Eskenazi; Nina Holland Journal: Pediatr Obes Date: 2013-01-16 Impact factor: 4.000