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Impact of early postnatal weight gain and feeding patterns on body mass index in adolescence

Naim Shehadeh1, Hila Weitzer-Kish, Raanan Shamir

  • 1Department of Pediatrics A, Meyer Children's Hospital of Haifa, Israel. n_shehadeh@rambam.health.gov.il

Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology & Metabolism : JPEM
|April 15, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Rapid early weight gain in infancy increases childhood obesity risk. Breastfeeding offers protection against adolescent obesity, highlighting the importance of infant feeding patterns.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health
  • Nutrition Science

Background:

  • Rapid infant weight gain is a potential risk factor for childhood obesity.
  • Feeding patterns in early life may influence long-term body mass index (BMI).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of early life weight gain and feeding patterns on adolescent BMI.
  • To identify critical periods of infant growth influencing later obesity risk.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of growth records for 88 obese and 214 non-obese 12-year-old Arab children.
  • Evaluation of birth weight, length, weight gain velocity at 4 and 12 months, and breastfeeding rates.

Main Results:

  • Obese adolescents had significantly lower breastfeeding rates (p < 0.01).
  • Accelerated weight gain was observed at 4 months (p = 0.002) and 12 months (p = 0.01) in the obese group.
  • Early weight gain (first 2 months) and feeding pattern were independent predictors of adolescent BMI.

Conclusions:

  • Early postnatal weight gain is a significant predictor of adolescent obesity.
  • Breastfeeding demonstrates a protective effect against the development of adolescent obesity.

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