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Infant feeding and subcutaneous fat at birth and at one year
Insights
Infant adiposity at 1 year showed no link to birth weight or maternal factors. Current feeding practices, like increased breastfeeding, may contribute to leaner infants compared to previous decades.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Human Nutrition
- Public Health
Background:
- Maternal obesity and diabetes are linked to infant adiposity.
- Previous research suggested overnutrition in late pregnancy permanently affects infant body composition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term effects of birth adiposity and maternal factors on infant skinfold thickness at 1 year.
- To compare current infant adiposity with historical data.
Main Methods:
- Skinfold thickness was measured at birth and 1 year in infants categorized by birth weight and maternal health (obese mothers, diabetic mothers).
- Statistical analysis was used to determine correlations and group differences.
Main Results:
- No significant correlation was found between skinfold thickness at birth and at 1 year.
- No significant differences in skinfold thickness were observed between the different infant groups at 1 year.
- Infant skinfold thickness in this study was lower than in a 1967-68 British survey.
Conclusions:
- The hypothesis that late-pregnancy overnutrition permanently impacts infant adiposity is not supported by these findings.
- Changes in infant feeding practices, including increased breastfeeding and delayed introduction of solids, may be associated with lower infant adiposity.
- Public health recommendations against overfeeding may be influencing infant body composition.
Abstract:
Skin folds were measured at birth and at 1 year in infants who were obese, normal or thin at birth, infants of obese mothers and infants of diabetic mothers. There was no significant correlation between skinfold thickness at birth and skinfold thickness at 1 year and there was no significant difference in skinfold thickness between any of the groups at 1 year of age. These findings are not consistent with the hypothesis that overnutrition in the last 10 weeks of pregnancy has a permanent effect on the adiposity of the infant. The distributions of triceps and subscapular skinfolds in these 1-year-old infants were considerably lower than in a 1967-68 survey of British 1-year-olds. In this (1976) survey, the breast-feeding rate (40% at 2 months) and the mean age of introduction of solids (15 weeks) were both greater than in previous British surveys. Recent warnings against overfeeding in infancy may be changing feeding practices, resulting in slimmer 1-year-old children.