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An activity stimulation programme during a child's first year reduces some indicators of adiposity at the age of
A G M de Vries1, H G Huiting, E R van den Heuvel
1Department of Paediatrics, Beatrix Children's Hospital, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Insights
Early physical activity stimulation in infancy reduced adiposity indicators in toddlers, particularly girls. This intervention shows promise for childhood obesity prevention.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Childhood Obesity Research
- Developmental Pediatrics
Background:
- Obesity is a growing concern, often tracking from childhood into adulthood.
- Early intervention is crucial for long-term health outcomes.
- Understanding the impact of early lifestyle factors on child development is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effect of early physical activity stimulation on toddler growth, body composition, and motor development.
- To assess if stimulating physical activity in infancy influences key health indicators.
- To investigate potential sex-specific effects of early activity programs.
Main Methods:
- A cluster randomized controlled trial involving 161 toddlers across Dutch Well Baby Clinics.
- Intervention group received guidance on stimulating physical activity and motor development from 2 weeks to 11 months.
- Outcomes measured at 2.5 years included anthropometry, skinfolds, bioelectrical impedance, motor development, and physical activity.
Main Results:
- Lower skinfold thicknesses were observed in the intervention group compared to controls (29.6 ± 4.7 mm vs. 32.4 ± 6.0 mm).
- Female participants in the intervention group showed reduced weight, skinfolds, and waist/hip circumference.
- No significant differences were found in motor development or daily physical activity levels between groups.
Conclusions:
- An early-life program stimulating physical activity positively impacted adiposity indicators in toddlers.
- The observed effects on body composition were more pronounced in girls.
- Further investigation is needed to determine the long-term persistence of these beneficial effects.
Aim:
Obesity tracks from childhood into adulthood. We evaluated the effect of early stimulation of physical activity on growth, body composition, motor activity and motor development in toddlers.
Methods:
We performed a cluster randomised controlled single-blinded trial in Dutch Well Baby Clinics, with seven nurses and 96 children (40% girls) randomised to the intervention group and six nurses and 65 children (57% girls) to the control group. Intervention nurses advised parents on stimulating motor development and physical activity during regular visits at 2 weeks and two, four, eight and 11 months. Baseline characteristics such as birthweight and mode of feeding were comparable. Outcomes at two-and-a-half years included anthropometry, skinfold thicknesses, bioelectrical impedance analyses, motor development and daily physical activity. We used linear mixed models with nurses as cluster.
Results:
We evaluated 143 children (89 intervention, 54 control) as 18 dropped out. Skinfolds were significantly lower in intervention children (29.6 ± 4.7 mm) than controls (32.4 ± 6.0 mm), without differences in motor development or daily physical activity. Female interventions showed lower weight, skinfolds, waist and hip circumference.
Conclusion:
An activity stimulating programme during the child's first year improved indicators of adiposity when they were toddlers, especially in girls. Further research should determine whether these effects persist.
