Relationship between birth weight and subsequent weight gain.

As shown in 8709 Black term neonates followed through 7 yr of age, there is a direct, positive relationship between birth weight and long-term weight gain. Over a 7-yr period, high-weight term Black boys and girls gain 2.6 kg more than their low-weight peers, an excess of 15%. In contrast, there is an inverse relationship between birth weight and subsequent gain in length in these term Black neonates. The long-term differential in weight gain, which is primarily attained after the first yr, has major implications for the understanding of growth and for nutritional assessment of infants and children.