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Cesarean Delivery and Risk of Excess Weight Among Brazilian Preschool Children

Amanda Forster Lopes1, Thais Costa Machado2, Viviane Gabriela Nascimento3,4

  • 1Health and Biotechnology Institute, Federal University of Amazonas, Manaus, Brazil. amanda.flopes@yahoo.com.br.

Maternal and Child Health Journal
|January 4, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Cesarean delivery (CD) is linked to higher rates of overweight in preschoolers. This study found a significant association between birth by CD and increased risk of excess weight in young children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health
  • Nutritional Science

Background:

  • Overweight in preschool children is a growing public health concern.
  • Cesarean delivery (CD) is a common birth method with potential long-term health implications.
  • Identifying risk factors for early-onset overweight is crucial for intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between cesarean delivery (CD) and overweight in preschool children.
  • To examine this relationship while accounting for other known risk factors for excess weight.
  • To analyze demographic and birth-related factors influencing overweight risk.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective cross-sectional analysis of 752 preschoolers (2-6 years) in Brazil.
  • Nutritional status assessed using Body Mass Index (BMI) z-scores.
  • Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses adjusted for covariates.

Main Results:

  • Prevalence of overweight was 21.7% among the preschoolers.
  • Children born via CD had a significantly higher median BMI z-score compared to those born via vaginal delivery.
  • Cesarean delivery remained a significant predictor of overweight in multivariate analysis (CR: 1.580).

Conclusions:

  • Cesarean delivery is independently associated with an increased risk of overweight in preschool children.
  • Early identification of children born by CD may aid in monitoring and preventing childhood obesity.
  • Further research into the mechanisms linking CD to overweight is warranted.
Abstract

Keywords:
Cesarean deliveryObesityOverweightPreschoolVaginal delivery

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