Rapid infant weight gain may cause childhood obesity

Boston, March 31: Babies whose weight rapidly increases in first six months of life are at an increased risk of growing into obese toddlers, a new study indicates.

According to the novel study published in the April edition of the journal Pediatrics, babies who gain weight at a rapid pace during their first six months of life could be at a significant higher risk of being obese by the age of three.

"There is increasing evidence that rapid changes in weight during infancy increase children's risk of later obesity," says lead researcher Elsie Taveras, MD, PhD, of Harvard Medical School. "The mounting evidence suggests that infancy may be a critical period during which to prevent childhood obesity and its related consequences."

Taveras worked along with Matthew Gillman, MD, of Harvard's Obesity Prevention Program and colleagues to find out a link between a baby’s early weight gain and childhood obesity.

The team based their findings on an analysis of 559 children in the Boston area who were involved in Project Viva, an ongoing study of pregnant women and their children.

The researchers first measured each child’s weight and length at birth, at 6 months, and then at 3 years, and then divided them into four group based on measurements of their weights and heights.

After studying the data, Taveras and colleagues found a "striking" connection between rapid weight gain in infancy and later obesity, even after adjusting for factors such as premature babies or those born with lower weight.

More precisely, the kids heaviest at birth and those gaining the most weight through age 6 months together were at 40 percent higher risk of being obese at age 3 compared to a 1 percent risk for children in the lowest quartile.

"We found that children who grew rapidly during that time period had a high risk of obesity at three years,” Taveras, who is assistant professor in the department of ambulatory care and prevention at Harvard, said adding that the findings suggest that “it is rapid weight gain in infancy that puts children at risk" more than heavy birth weight.

"The mounting evidence suggests that infancy may be a critical period during which to prevent childhood obesity and its related consequences," the researchers said.

Although being overweight at age 3 does not necessarily mean the kid would be obese in childhood or adulthood, still it elevates the risks, researchers warned.

Everybody knows about the detrimental effects of obesity. It is a gateway to heart disease, diabetes and a host of other diseases such as higher risk for high blood pressure, sleep disorders and cancerdefine.

Childhood obesity is also known to fuel diabetic and cardio troubles. It is estimated that obesity rates among U.S. kids have doubled in the last 20 years.