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Updated: Mar 22, 2026
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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
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BMI at birth and overweight at age four
Jonathan D Winter1, Yhenneko Taylor2, Lauren Mowrer3
1VCU-Shenandoah Family Practice Residency, Front Royal, VA, United States.
Obesity Research & Clinical Practice
|April 13, 2016
Summary
Newborns with a high body-mass-index (BMI) at birth are more likely to be overweight by age 4. This finding suggests newborn BMI is a better predictor of childhood overweight than newborn macrosomia.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Elevated birth weight is linked to later obesity and health issues.
- Assessing infant adiposity has historically been challenging.
- WHO BMI growth charts for infants under two were introduced in 2006.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the association between newborn overweight and childhood overweight at age 4.
- To compare the predictive value of newborn body-mass-index (BMI) versus weight-for-age (WFA) for future overweight.
- To examine the correlation between maternal obesity and newborn anthropometrics.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort analysis of anthropometric data from an integrated healthcare system.
- Defined newborn overweight and macrosomia using WHO growth charts (BMI and WFA >85%).
- Logistic regression models analyzed associations with 4-year-old overweight, controlling for covariates.
Main Results:
- Both newborn BMI and WFA above the 85th percentile were significantly associated with overweight at age 4.
- Newborn BMI >85% showed a stronger association (AOR 2.08) than WFA >85% (AOR 1.57).
- Maternal obesity was more strongly correlated with newborn BMI >85% (AOR 4.14) than WFA >85% (AOR 3.09).
Conclusions:
- Newborn body-mass-index (BMI) >85% is an independent predictor of overweight at age 4.
- Newborn overweight, particularly assessed by BMI, may be a superior predictor of 4-year-old overweight compared to macrosomia.
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