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Updated: Mar 22, 2026
Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Infant weight growth velocity patterns and general and abdominal adiposity in school-age children. The Generation R
C J Kruithof1,2, O Gishti1,2,3, A Hofman2
1The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Insights
Infant weight growth velocity patterns, including peak weight velocity (PWV) and body mass index at adiposity peak (BMIAP), are linked to higher childhood adiposity and overweight risk. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring infant growth for predicting later health outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Growth and Development
- Public Health Nutrition
Background:
- Understanding infant growth patterns is crucial for predicting childhood obesity.
- Early life weight gain velocity may influence long-term adiposity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between infant weight growth velocity patterns and childhood adiposity.
- To determine if infant growth metrics predict general and abdominal fat measures in children.
Main Methods:
- Population-based prospective cohort study of 5126 children.
- Analysis of growth measurements from 0 to 3 years to derive peak weight velocity (PWV), age at adiposity peak (AGEAP), and body mass index at adiposity peak (BMIAP).
- Assessment of childhood adiposity using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and abdominal ultrasound at a median age of 6.0 years.
Main Results:
- Higher infant PWV and BMIAP were significantly associated with increased childhood BMI, body fat percentage, android/gynoid fat ratio, and abdominal fat.
- Infant AGEAP in the highest tertile was linked to higher adiposity in girls.
- Increased infant PWV and BMIAP correlated with a higher risk of childhood overweight, particularly in girls.
Conclusions:
- Rapid infant weight gain velocity and peak adiposity are associated with adverse body composition and increased overweight risk in school-aged children.
- Infant growth patterns may serve as important predictors of later overweight status.
- Further research is needed to explore the predictive value of infant growth patterns for childhood overweight.
Background/Objectives:
The objective of this study was to examine the association of individually derived infant weight growth velocity patterns with general and abdominal adiposity measures in childhood.
Subjects/Methods:
In a population-based prospective cohort study among 5126 children, we used repeated growth measurements between 0 and 3 years of age to derive peak weight velocity (PWV), age at adiposity peak (AGEAP) and body mass index at adiposity peak (BMIAP). At the median age of 6.0 years (95% range 5.7, 6.8), we estimated body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, android/gynoid fat mass ratio and pre-peritoneal abdominal fat area by using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and abdominal ultrasound.
Results:
Higher infant PWV and BMIAP were associated with higher childhood BMI, body fat percentage, android/gynoid fat mass ratio and pre-peritoneal abdominal fat area (all P-values<0.05), with the strongest effect estimates for BMI (differences in BMI: 0.37 standard deviation (s.d.), 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.34, 0.39 and 0.45 s.d. (95% CI: 0.43, 0.48) per 1-s.d. increase in infant PWV and BMIAP, respectively). Infant AGEAP in the highest tertile (>0.75 years) was associated with higher general and abdominal adiposity among girls at the age of 6 years (all P-values<0.05). Similarly, a 1-s.d. higher infant PWV and BMIAP were associated with increased risks of childhood overweight (odds ratios (95% CI): 2.1 (1.9, 2.3) and 2.5 (2.2, 2.8), respectively). These associations were independent of gestational age and size at birth and tended to be stronger among girls.
Conclusions:
Higher infant PWV and BMIAP are associated with adverse general and abdominal fat distribution profiles and increased risks of overweight at school age. Whether infant growth patterns add to the prediction of later overweight should be further studied.
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