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Macrosomia is associated with high weight-for-height in children aged 1-3 years in Shanghai, China

Z Yu1, J Q Sun, J D Haas

  • 1Institute for Nutritional Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biologic Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, P.R. China.

International Journal of Obesity (2005)
|January 15, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Macrosomia, or high birth weight, predicts elevated weight-for-length/height in Chinese toddlers. This association was significant in boys and suggests early growth monitoring is crucial for these infants.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Child Health
  • Growth Monitoring

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a growing concern globally.
  • Understanding early predictors of excessive weight gain is essential for intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the relationship between macrosomia (high birth weight) and high weight-for-length/height in Chinese children aged 1-3 years.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective longitudinal study of 918 children in Shanghai.
  • Macrosomia defined as birth weight >/=90th percentile.
  • High weight-for-length/height defined as z-score >/=1.68 using WHO growth reference.

Main Results:

  • Macrosomic boys had significantly higher odds of high weight-for-length/height (OR=3.48).
  • The association was not significant in girls.
  • Results remained consistent after adjusting for feeding and illness factors.

Conclusions:

  • Macrosomia is a significant predictor of high weight-for-length/height in young Chinese children, particularly boys.
  • Early identification and monitoring of macrosomic infants are recommended.
Abstract

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