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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
09:36

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

Association of Gestational Age in a Full Range With Childhood Overweight and Obesity: A Systematic Scoping Review

Yuantao Su1, Marini Ahmad Suhaimi2, Manish Prasad Gupta1

  • 1Department of Women's and Children's Health Care, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Shanghai Institute of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Gynecologic Oncology, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.

Obesity Reviews : an Official Journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity
|May 10, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Preterm birth is linked to childhood obesity, but evidence for term and post-term births is unclear. More research is needed on gestational age and childhood overweight risks.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Inconsistent associations exist between preterm birth and childhood obesity.
  • The impact of full gestational age on childhood overweight and obesity risk is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review the relationship between gestational age at birth and childhood overweight/obesity.
  • To explore the entire spectrum of gestational age in relation to childhood obesity.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic scoping review of PubMed, Ovid Medline, and Google Scholar (2000-2024).
  • Included studies investigating childhood overweight/obesity outcomes in relation to gestational age.
  • Followed PRISMA-ScR guidelines for study selection.

Main Results:

  • Twenty-eight studies met inclusion criteria.
  • Preterm birth showed a substantial link to childhood overweight and obesity.
  • Evidence for term and post-term births was limited and showed mixed results.

Conclusions:

  • Limited evidence exists for the association between various gestational ages and childhood overweight/obesity.
  • Highlights the need for primary prevention strategies in early childhood.
  • Further research is required to clarify the nuanced relationship between gestational age and childhood obesity.
Abstract

Keywords:
childhood obesityearly‐termgestational age at birthoverweightpost‐termpretermscoping review

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