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Cesarean delivery and risk of childhood obesity

Zhengcun Pei1, Joachim Heinrich2, Elaine Fuertes3

  • 1Institute of Epidemiology I, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany; Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, Germany.

The Journal of Pediatrics
|February 11, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Cesarean delivery may increase the risk of childhood obesity in early years. However, this study did not find evidence linking cesarean birth to obesity in later childhood.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Obstetrics
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern.
  • Cesarean delivery rates have increased globally.
  • Understanding risk factors for childhood obesity is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if cesarean delivery is a risk factor for childhood obesity.
  • To investigate the association between birth mode and obesity at different childhood ages.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective cohort study of healthy, full-term infants.
  • Obesity defined by World Health Organization (WHO) growth standards.
  • Multivariate logistic regression adjusted for confounders.

Main Results:

  • Cesarean delivery was associated with a higher likelihood of obesity at age 2 years (aOR 1.68).
  • No significant association was found for obesity at ages 6 or 10 years.
  • Mothers with cesarean births had higher pre-pregnancy BMI and gestational weight gain.

Conclusions:

  • Cesarean delivery may be a risk factor for early childhood obesity.
  • The study does not support a link between cesarean delivery and later childhood obesity.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms involved.
Abstract

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