Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Communication
  • Published:

Relations between high ponderal index at birth, feeding practices and body mass index in infancy

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 59, pages 1241–1249 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

We compared feeding practices between infants of high ponderal index (PI) at birth (PI above the 90th percentile) and normal PI at birth (PI between 10th and 90th percentiles), and examined how birth size and infant feeding practices were related to body mass index (BMI) at 12 months.

Design:

In a cohort of 3000 infants invited to participate in a national Norwegian dietary survey, 1825 participated both at 6 and 12 months of age, and the present study included those born full term and with a PI (weight/length3) at birth ≥10th percentile (n=1441). Data on feeding practices were collected by food-frequency questionnaires, and anthropometrical data were measured by health-care personnel.

Results:

A lower proportion of infants born with high PI were exclusively breastfed for at least 4 months compared with infants born with normal PI (37 and 47%, respectively; P=0.03). Earlier introduction of solid foods and higher consumption of some foods were also observed among infants of high PI. In a multivariate analysis, adjusted mean BMI (kg/m2) at 12 months was higher for infants of high PI at birth than for infants of normal PI (17.6 and 17.0, respectively; P<0.001) and higher for infants exclusively breastfed <3 months than for infants exclusively breastfed ≥3 months (17.5 and 17.2, respectively; P=0.001).

Conclusions:

High PI at birth was associated with a shorter duration of exclusive breastfeeding. Furthermore, high PI at birth and short-term exclusive breastfeeding were both associated with higher BMI at 12 months.

Sponsorship:

The National Council on Nutrition and Physical Activity (now part of the Directorate for Health and Social Affairs), the Norwegian Food Control Authorities (now part of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority) and the Research Council of Norway.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Andersen LF, Lande B, Arsky GH & Trygg K (2003): Validation of a semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire used among 12-month-old Norwegian infants. Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 57, 881–888.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Atladottir H & Thorsdottir I (2000): Energy intake and growth of infants in Iceland—a population with high frequency of breast-feeding and high birth weight. Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 54, 695–701.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Baeten JM, Bukusi EA & Lambe M (2001): Pregnancy complications and outcomes among overweight and obese nulliparous women. Am. J. Public Health 91, 436–440.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bergmann KE, Bergmann RL, von Kries R, Böhm O, Richter R, Dudenhausen JW & Wahn U (2003): Early determinants of childhood overweight and adiposity in a birth cohort study: role of breast-feeding. Int. J. Obes. Relat. Metab. Disord. 27, 162–172.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Davies DP (1980): Size at birth and growth in the first year of life of babies who are overweight and underweight at birth. Proc. Nutr. Soc. 39, 25–33.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dewey KG (1998): Growth characteristics of breast-fed compared to formula-fed infants. Biol. Neonate 74, 94–105.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dewey KG (2003): Is breast-feeding protective against child obesity? J. Hum. Lact. 19, 9–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dewey KG, Heinig MJ, Nommsen LA, Peerson JM & Lönnerdal B (1992): Growth of breast-fed and formula-fed infants from 0 to 18 mo: the DARLING Study. Pediatrics 89, 1035–1041.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dewey KG, Heinig MJ, Nommsen LA, Peerson JM & Lönnerdal B (1993): Breast-fed infants are leaner than formula-fed infants at 1 y of age: the DARLING Study. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 57, 140–145.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fuentes RM, Notkola I-L, Shmeikka S, Tuomilehto J & Nissinen A (2003): Tracking of body mass index during childhood: a 15-year prospective population-based family study in eastern Finland. Int. J. Obes. Relat. Metab. Disord. 27, 716–721.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Galtier-Dereure F, Boegner C & Bringer J (2000): Obesity and pregnancy: complications and cost. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 71 (Suppl), 1242S–1248S.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Grummer-Strawn LM & Mei Z (2004): Does breastfeeding protect against pediatric overweight?Analysis of longitudinal data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System. Pediatrics 113, e81–e86. URL:http://www.pediatrics.org/cgi/content/full/113/2/e81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • He Q, Ding ZY, Fong DYT & Karlberg J (2000): Risk factors of obesity in preschool children in China: a population-based case–control study. Int. J. Obes. Relat. Metab. Disord. 24, 1528–1536.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hediger ML, Overpeck MD, Maurer KR, Kuczmarski RJ, McGlynn A & Davis WW (1998): Growth of infants and young children born small or large for gestational age. Findings from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Arch. Pediatr. Adolesc. Med. 152, 1225–1231.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jacobsen BK, Njølstad I, Thune I, Wilsgaard T, Løchen M-L & Schirmer H (2001): Increase in weight in all birth cohorts in a general population. The Tromsø Study, 1974–1994. Arch. Intern. Med. 61, 466–472.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knudtzon J, Waaler PE, Skjærven R, Solberg LK & Steen J (1988): Nye norske percentilkurver for høyde, vekt og hodeomkrets for alderen 0–17 år. (New Norwegian percentile curves for height, weight, and head circumference for ages 0–17 y). Tidsskr. Nor. Lægeforen. 108, 2125–2135 (in Norwegian).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kramer MS, Barr RG, Leduc DG, Boisjoly C, McVey-White L & Pless IB (1985): Determinants of weight and adiposity in the first year of life. J. Pediatr. 106, 10–14.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lande B, Andersen LF, Bærug A, Trygg KU, Lund-Larsen K, Veierød MB & Bjørneboe G-EAa (2003): Infant feeding practices and associated factors in the first six months of life: The Norwegian Infant Nutrition Survey. Acta Paediatr. 92, 152–161.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lande B, Andersen LF, Veierød MB, Bærug A, Johansson L, Trygg KU & Bjørneboe G-EAa (2004): Breastfeeding at 12 months of age and dietary habits among breast-fed and non-breast-fed infants. Public Health Nutr. 7, 495–503.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li L, Parsons TJ & Power C (2003): Breast feeding and obesity in childhood: cross sectional study. BMJ 327, 904–905.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ludwig DS, Peterson KE & Gortmaker SL (2001): Relation between consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and childhood obesity: a prospective, observational analysis. Lancet 357, 505–508.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martorell R, Aryeh D, Stein D & Schroeder DG (2001): Early nutrition and later adiposity. J. Nutr. 131 (Suppl), S874–S880.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Medisinsk fødselsregister (Medical Birth Registry of Norway). Internet:http://www.uib.no/mfr/statistikk.html(accessed 6 July 2004) (in Norwegian).

  • Meeuwisse G & Olausson PO (1998): Økad födelsevikt i Norden. Allt större andel nyfödda väger över fyra kilo. (Increased birth weight in the Nordic countries. An increasing proportion of newborns weighing more than four kilos). Läkartidningen 95, 5488–5492 (in Swedish).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nielsen GA, Thomsen BL & Michaelsen KF (1998): Influence of breastfeeding and complementary food on growth between 5 and 10 months. Acta Paediatr. 87, 911–917.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ong KK, Preece MA, Emmett PM, Ahmed ML & Dunger DB (2002): Size at birth and early childhood growth in relation to maternal smoking, parity and infant breast-feeding: longitudinal birth cohort study and analysis. Pediatr. Res. 52, 863–867.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pietiläinen KH, Kaprio J, Räsänen M, Winter T, Rissanen A & Rose RJ (2001): Tracking of body size from birth to late adolescence: contributions of birth length, birth weight, duration of gestation, parent's body size, and twinship. Am. J. Epidemiol. 154, 21–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rasmussen KM, Hilson JA & Kjolhede CL (2001): Obesity may impair lactogenesis ll. J. Nutr. 131 (Suppl), 3009S–3011S.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rogers I & EURO-BLCS Study Group (2003): The influence of birthweight and intrauterine environment on adiposity and fat distribution in later life. Int. J. Obes. Relat. Metab. Disord. 27, 755–777.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Statens ernæringsråd & Statens næringsmiddeltilsyn (1995): Den store matvaretabellen 1995. (Food Composition Table 1995). Oslo: Universitetsforlaget (in Norwegian).

  • Swinburn BA, Caterson I, Seidell JC & James WPT (2004): Diet, nutrition and the prevention of excess weight gain and obesity. Public Health Nutr. 7, 123–146.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tanaka T, Matsuzaki A, Kuromaru R, Kinukawa N, Nose Y, Matsumoto T & Hara T (2001): Association between birthweight and body mass index at 3 years of age. Pediatr. Int. 43, 641–646.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thorsdottir I, Gunnarsdottir I & Palsson G (2003): Association of birth weight and breast-feeding to coronary heart disease risk factors at the age of 6 years. Nutr. Metab. Cardiovasc. Dis. 13, 267–272.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization (WHO) (1999): Indicators for Assessing Breastfeeding Practices, Unpublished Document WHO/CDD/SER 91.14 1999 Available on request from the Nutrition Programme, World Health Organization, Geneva.

  • World Health Organization (WHO) (2003): Diet, nutrition and the prevention of chronic diseases. Report of a Joint WHO/FAO Expert Consultation. Geneva: World Health Organization WHO Technical Report Series; 916.

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank Kari Lund-Larsen at the Norwegian Food Safety Authority for her contribution in developing the survey design and the SFFQ and Elin Bjørge Løken at the Department of Nutrition, University of Oslo for her contribution in establishing the final food database for this survey. This work was supported by a grant from the Research Council of Norway.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department for Nutrition, Directorate for Health and Social Affairs, Oslo, Norway

    B Lande & L Johansson

  2. Department of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

    B Lande, L F Andersen & K U Trygg

  3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Rikshospitalet University Hospital, Oslo, Norway

    T Henriksen

  4. National Breastfeeding Centre, Rikshospitalet University Hospital, Oslo, Norway

    A Bærug

  5. Directorate for Health and Social Affairs, Oslo, Norway

    G-EAa Bjørneboe

  6. Institute of Community Medicine, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway

    G-EAa Bjørneboe

  7. Department of Statistics, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

    M B Veierød

Authors
  1. B Lande
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. L F Andersen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. T Henriksen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. A Bærug
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. L Johansson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. K U Trygg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. G-EAa Bjørneboe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. M B Veierød
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to B Lande.

Additional information

Guarantor: B Lande.

Contributors: BL carried out the data analyses and wrote the manuscript, MBV, LFA, TH and LJ assisted and provided advice during all the stages of the work, MBV provided advice for the statistical analyses, BL, LFA, AB, KUT and G-EB were involved in the design and implementation of the survey. All authors contributed in the discussion and interpretation of the results, and in drafting and editing the manuscript. No conflicts of interest are declared.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lande, B., Andersen, L., Henriksen, T. et al. Relations between high ponderal index at birth, feeding practices and body mass index in infancy. Eur J Clin Nutr 59, 1241–1249 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602235

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602235

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links