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Body Mass Index Changes in Early Childhood

Samira Barbara Jabakhanji1, Fiona Boland1, Mark Ward2

  • 1Division of Population Health Sciences, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.

The Journal of Pediatrics
|August 28, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Early life factors significantly impact child body mass index (BMI) trajectories. Interventions before and during pregnancy are crucial for preventing critical weight states in children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Public Health
  • Growth Monitoring

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern.
  • Understanding longitudinal body mass index (BMI) patterns in early childhood is essential for developing effective interventions.
  • The "Growing Up in Ireland" infant cohort study provides a unique dataset for investigating early life influences on child development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To longitudinally investigate body mass index (BMI) in young children in Ireland.
  • To identify key factors and critical time points associated with changes in BMI from infancy to early childhood.
  • To inform public health policy and targeted interventions for preventing unhealthy weight trajectories.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the "Growing Up in Ireland" infant cohort study (n=11,134).
  • Measured child height and weight at 9 months, 3 years, and 5 years.
  • Employed multilevel regression analysis with a comprehensive set of child and caregiver covariates (n=10,377).

Main Results:

  • A significant proportion of children exceeded the 85th percentile for BMI at 9 months (39%), 3 years (44%), and 5 years (30%).
  • Children born large for gestational age or experiencing rapid infant weight gain showed consistently higher BMIs.
  • Children born small for gestational age or preterm had consistently lower BMIs, with less variation observed for other factors.

Conclusions:

  • Birth characteristics and early infancy weight gain are strongly associated with BMI variations throughout early childhood.
  • Cumulative risk factors can contribute to critical weight states, necessitating early intervention.
  • Policy-focused interventions targeting families before and during pregnancy are recommended to address modifiable risk factors.
Abstract

Keywords:
Growing Up in Irelandbody mass indexchildhood obesitygrowth trajectoriesmultilevel modelling

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