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Effect of birth weight and postnatal weight gain on body composition in early infancy: The Generation R Study

Susanne Holzhauer1, Anita C S Hokken Koelega, Maria de Ridder

  • 1The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Early Human Development
|December 19, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Rapid infant weight gain increases body fat, particularly in the trunk, by 6 months. This early body composition change may influence later health risks like obesity.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric nutrition
  • Infant body composition
  • Metabolic health research

Background:

  • Rapid postnatal weight gain is linked to adult obesity and type 2 diabetes.
  • The impact of early infant weight gain on body composition remains unclear.
  • Critical periods for weight gain influencing later disease risk are debated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine how birth weight and rapid weight gain affect infant body composition within the first six months.
  • Investigate the relationship between early growth patterns and body fat distribution.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the Generation R Study, a prospective, population-based cohort.
  • Measured body fat and fat distribution using skinfold thickness at 6 weeks and 6 months in 909 infants.
  • Adjusted analyses for key covariates including BMI, sex, maternal factors, and breastfeeding duration.

Main Results:

  • Increased postnatal weight percentile change correlated with higher skinfold thickness and body fat percentage at both 6 weeks and 6 months.
  • Rapid weight gain was associated with an increased truncal/peripheral fat ratio at 6 months.
  • Higher birth weight was inversely linked to the truncal/peripheral fat ratio but not relative body fat at 6 months.

Conclusions:

  • Early postnatal rapid weight gain in infants leads to disproportionate fat accumulation, primarily in the truncal region.
  • These alterations in body composition during infancy warrant further investigation for long-term health implications.
  • Longitudinal studies are needed to determine if these infant body composition changes persist into adulthood.
Abstract

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