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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
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Early child care and adiposity at ages 1 and 3 years

Sara E Benjamin1, Sheryl L Rifas-Shiman, Elsie M Taveras

  • 1Obesity Prevention Program, Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA. sara_benjamin@harvardpilgrim.org

Pediatrics
|August 5, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Infants in nonparental child care during the first six months were more likely to have higher weight-for-length (WFL) and body mass index (BMI) z scores by ages 1 and 3. Care in someone else's home showed the strongest association with increased adiposity.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health
  • Developmental Psychology

Background:

  • Most US infants attend nonparental child care.
  • Limited understanding of child care's impact on infant obesity development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Examine the association between early child care attendance (birth to 6 months) and adiposity at 1 and 3 years.
  • Investigate different types of nonparental care.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective cohort study of 1138 children.
  • Assessed time in child care (center, other's home, own home by nonparent) from birth to 6 months.
  • Measured weight-for-length (WFL) z score at 1 year and BMI z score at 3 years.

Main Results:

  • 57% of infants attended child care.
  • Overall child care was linked to higher WFL z score at 1 year and BMI z score at 3 years.
  • Care in someone else's home showed a significant increase in both WFL and BMI z scores at 1 and 3 years.

Conclusions:

  • Early life child care, particularly in someone else's home, is associated with increased adiposity in early childhood.
  • Findings suggest child care settings may influence long-term weight trajectories.
Abstract

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