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Relations between high ponderal index at birth, feeding practices and body mass index in infancy

B Lande1, L F Andersen, T Henriksen

  • 1Department for Nutrition, Directorate for Health and Social Affairs, Oslo, Norway. britt.lande@shdir.no

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition
|August 18, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Infants with high ponderal index (PI) at birth were breastfed for shorter durations, leading to higher body mass index (BMI) at 12 months. Shorter exclusive breastfeeding also correlated with increased infant BMI.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Nutritional Science
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Birth size, specifically ponderal index (PI), may influence infant feeding practices and long-term body mass index (BMI).
  • Understanding the relationship between birth size, feeding, and infant BMI is crucial for early intervention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare feeding practices between infants with high PI and normal PI at birth.
  • To examine the association between birth size, infant feeding practices, and BMI at 12 months.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort study of 1441 full-term infants from a Norwegian national dietary survey.
  • Feeding practices assessed via food-frequency questionnaires; anthropometric data collected by healthcare personnel.
  • Ponderal index (PI) calculated as weight/length³; body mass index (BMI) measured at 12 months.

Main Results:

  • Infants with high PI at birth were less likely to be exclusively breastfed for at least 4 months (37% vs. 47%).
  • High PI infants showed earlier introduction of solids and higher consumption of certain foods.
  • Higher adjusted mean BMI at 12 months was observed in infants with high PI at birth (17.6 vs. 17.0) and those exclusively breastfed for <3 months (17.5 vs. 17.2).

Conclusions:

  • High PI at birth is associated with reduced duration of exclusive breastfeeding.
  • Both high PI at birth and shorter exclusive breastfeeding durations are linked to increased BMI at 12 months.
  • Findings suggest early life factors significantly impact infant growth trajectories.
Abstract

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