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Updated: Mar 30, 2026
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Growth and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Prepubertal Children Born Large or Small for Gestational Age
Henrikki Nordman1, Raimo Voutilainen, Tomi Laitinen
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.
Insights
Children born large for gestational age (LGA) are more likely to be overweight in childhood. This increased risk for childhood obesity is linked to birth size, even at prepubertal ages.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Childhood Obesity Research
- Cardiovascular Risk Factors
Background:
- Both large for gestational age (LGA) and small for gestational age (SGA) birth sizes are linked to later life cardiovascular and metabolic issues.
- Investigated if these associations are present in prepubertal children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if birth size (LGA, appropriate for gestational age (AGA), SGA) predicts overweight status in prepubertal children.
- To examine cardiometabolic risk factors in relation to birth size in early childhood.
Main Methods:
- Studied a cohort of 49 LGA, 56 AGA, and 23 SGA children aged 5-8 years.
- Assessed birth size as the exposure and prepubertal overweight status as the primary outcome.
- Measured blood pressure, laboratory parameters, and body composition (DXA) as secondary outcomes.
Main Results:
- LGA children were taller than AGA controls; SGA children were lighter and shorter than AGA and LGA children.
- Higher mean plasma glucose was observed in LGA compared to SGA groups.
- Being born LGA and a high ponderal index Z-score at birth significantly predicted childhood overweight/obesity.
Conclusions:
- LGA children exhibited greater height, weight, BMI, and body fat percentage in mid-childhood compared to AGA and SGA groups.
- Minimal differences in other cardiometabolic risk factors were found between birth size groups.
- Birth size is a significant predictor of overweight and obesity in prepubertal children.
Background:
Both large and small birth sizes are associated with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular and metabolic problems later in life. We studied whether such associations can be observed at prepubertal age.
Methods:
A cohort of 49 large (LGA), 56 appropriate (AGA), and 23 small for gestational age (SGA)-born children (age range 5-8 years) were studied. Being born SGA, AGA, or LGA was the exposure, and being overweight at prepubertal age was the main outcome. Blood pressure measurements, laboratory parameters, and whole-body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry were secondary outcomes.
Results:
The LGA-born children were significantly taller than the AGA controls (p = 0.03), and the SGA children were lighter and shorter compared to the AGA (p = 0.002 and 0.001) and LGA children (p < 0.001). The mean plasma glucose was higher in the LGA than in the SGA group (p = 0.006). Being born LGA (OR 3.82) and the ponderal index Z-score at birth (OR 4.24) were strong predictors for being overweight or obese in childhood.
Conclusion:
The children born LGA remained taller and heavier than those born AGA or SGA in mid-childhood, and they had a higher body mass index and body fat percentage than the SGA-born children. The differences in other cardiometabolic risk factors were minimal between the birth size groups.
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