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Does overweight in infancy persist through the preschool years? An analysis of CDC Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance
Zuguo Mei1, Laurence M Grummer-Strawn, Kelley S Scanlon
1Maternal and Child Nutrition Branch, Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity, National Center for Chronic Disease, Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, USA. zmei@cdc.gov
Insights
Infant overweight (0-11 months) and early childhood overweight (12-35 months) often persists into the preschool years. This persistent childhood overweight is more common in low birth weight infants and requires monitoring to prevent future obesity.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Public Health Surveillance
- Childhood Obesity Research
Background:
- Overweight in infancy and early childhood is a growing public health concern.
- Understanding the persistence of early overweight is crucial for developing effective interventions.
- Longitudinal data provides valuable insights into developmental trajectories of weight status.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the persistence of overweight from infancy and young childhood through the preschool years.
- To identify factors influencing the continuation of overweight status in early childhood.
- To inform strategies for the prevention of childhood obesity.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of longitudinal surveillance data from 380,518 low-income children in the U.S. Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System (PNSS).
- Weight-for-height measurements were used to define overweight as the 95th percentile or higher.
- Tracking of overweight status from birth to 59 months of age was assessed.
Main Results:
- Overweight infants had a 4.3 times higher relative risk (RR) of being overweight at 1 year old compared to non-overweight infants.
- Persistence of overweight increased with age; 62.5% of overweight 3-year-olds remained overweight at age 4.
- Low birth weight children exhibited a higher RR of remaining overweight once they became overweight.
Conclusions:
- Overweight status established in infancy and early childhood tends to persist into the preschool years.
- The tracking of overweight becomes more pronounced as children age and is influenced by birth weight.
- Monitoring preschoolers' growth is essential for early obesity prevention, potentially impacting adolescent and adult health.
Objective:
To determine whether overweight in infancy (0-11 months) and young childhood (12-35 months) persists through the preschool years.
Methods:
Analysis of longitudinal surveillance data for 380 518 low-income children monitored in the U.S. Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System from birth to age 59 months. Overweight was defined as weight-for-height > or = 95th percentile. We determined the proportion of the children (overweight vs non-overweight) above or below the 95th percentile of weight-for-height at the later ages.
Results:
The relative risk (RR) for overweight among overweight infants (vs non-overweight infants) at 1, 2, 3 and 4 years old was 4.3, 3.5, 3.3, and 2.9, respectively. 62.5% of overweight 3-year-old was still overweight a year later, but only 4.1% non-overweight 3-year-old became overweight a year later (RR = 15.2). However, low birth weight children had the highest RR to remain overweight after they became overweight compared to normal and high birth weight children.
Conclusions:
Overweight during infancy persists through the preschool years. Tracking of overweight appears to become stronger as children get older and is more pronounced among low birth weight children than normal or high birth weight children. Monitoring preschoolers' height and weight status should be a strategy for preventing of obesity in adolescence and adulthood.
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