Accelerated Weight Gain Subsequent to Postnatal Slow Weight Gain and Overweight Risk in Early Childhood: A Nested...

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Childhood Obesity
• Growth Monitoring

Background:

• The impact of accelerated weight gain (AWG) following postnatal slow weight gain (PSWG) on later overweight risk is not well understood.
• Understanding these growth patterns is essential for early identification of potential health risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between AWG after PSWG and the risk of being overweight at three years of age.
• To determine if specific periods of AWG post-PSWG are more strongly linked to later overweight status.

Main Methods:

• A nested case-control study involving 255 infants with normal birth weight and PSWG.
• Infants were monitored from birth to 3 years, with overweight defined by International Obesity Task Force criteria.
• Statistical analyses included Fisher's exact, Breslow-Day, and Mantel-Haenszel tests to assess the association between AWG and overweight status.

Main Results:

• Seven subjects exhibiting AWG after PSWG were classified as overweight at age 3.
• AWG between 6-9 and 17-20 months post-PSWG showed the strongest association with overweight status (adjusted OR 10.06).
• Even a single instance of AWG in the intervals from 3-4 to 6-9 months, 6-9 to 17-20 months, or 17-20 months to 3 years was linked to overweight status.

Conclusions:

• AWG following PSWG, regardless of timing or duration, elevates the risk of overweight by age 3.
• Close monitoring of infant weight gain trajectories after periods of slow growth is recommended to identify and manage overweight risk.