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Association between birthweight and body mass index at 3 years of age
T Tanaka1, A Matsuzaki, R Kuromaru
1Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
Insights
Higher birthweight and rapid early weight gain in infants are linked to increased risk of being overweight by age 3. These factors are crucial for monitoring childhood obesity risk.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Childhood Obesity Research
Background:
- Childhood obesity is a significant risk factor for adult obesity and associated chronic diseases like hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes.
- Identifying early predictors of childhood body mass index (BMI) is crucial for timely intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify key perinatal factors associated with body mass index (BMI) at 3 years of age in children.
- To understand the early life predictors of childhood overweight and obesity.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 588 children was analyzed.
- Body mass index (BMI) at 3 years was assessed against perinatal characteristics including birthweight, infant feeding method, and parental factors.
Main Results:
- Birthweight, weight gain in the first month, and BMI at 1 month were significantly associated with BMI at 3 years.
- Multivariate analysis confirmed birthweight and first-month weight gain as independent predictors of BMI at 3 years.
Conclusions:
- Infants with higher birthweight and accelerated weight gain during the first month are at increased risk of being overweight by age 3.
- These findings highlight critical early life indicators for potential childhood obesity.
Background:
Obesity in children is one of the risk factors for adulthood obesity, which then leads to the development of chronic diseases such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia and diabetes. In this study, we identified significant factors associating with the body mass index (BMI) at 3 years of age from the perinatal characteristics of children.
Methods:
A total of 588 children were included in the study. The BMI at 3 years of age was examined in conjunction with the possible variables such as parents' smoking status during pregnancy, parents' age at birth, gestational age, sibling number and live birth order, sex, birthweight, BMI at 1 month of age, weight gain during the first month of life and feeding method at 1 month of age.
Results:
Univariate analysis showed that birthweight (P<0.0001), weight gain during the first month of life (P=0.0012) and BMI at 1 month of age (P<0.0001) were significantly associated with the BMI at 3 years of age. Of these factors, birthweight and weight gain during the first month of life were the independent factors correlating with the BMI at 3 years by multivariate analysis (P<0.0001 and P=0.0095, respectively).
Conclusions:
Infants with higher birthweight and/or greater weight gain during the first month of life may have a risk of being overweight at 3 years of age.