Early childhood growth in ethnic groups predisposed to NIDDM: a prospective study

Evidence is accumulating to suggest that the intrauterine environment may not only influence fetal growth and anthropometric indices at birth but also contribute to susceptibility to adult onset diseases such as non-insulin-dependent diabetes (NIDDM). We have followed up 77 out of 123 (65%) children at age 2 years 8 months derived from a population at high risk of NIDDM who were initially studied throughout pregnancy and birth to determine whether their weight, height, and measures of adiposity were predicted by maternal size, glycaemic control during pregnancy, or ethnicity. Adiposity was correlated with maternal pre-pregnancy weight and maternal serum triglyceride concentration. In contrast to the data gathered at birth, ethnic group did not predict any anthropometric variable except that South Asian children demonstrated faster weight gain in infancy compared to Polynesian or European subgroups.