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 Article
  • Published:

Weight and weight gain during early infancy predict childhood obesity: a case-cohort study

International Journal of Obesity volume 36, pages 1306–1311 (2012)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background:

Infant weight and weight gain are positively associated with later obesity, but whether there is a particular critical time during infancy remains uncertain.

Objective:

The aim was to investigate when and how weight and weight gain during infancy become associated with childhood obesity.

Methods:

In a cohort representing 28 340 children born from 1959–67 and measured in Copenhagen schools, 962 obese children (2007 World Health Organization criteria), were compared with a 5% randomly selected sub-cohort of 1417 children. Information on weight at birth, 2 weeks, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 9 months was retrieved from health visitors’ records. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for childhood obesity by tertiles of weight at each age and by change in tertiles of weight between two consecutive measurements were estimated using multivariate logistic regression with adjustment for indicators of socioeconomic status, preterm birth, and breastfeeding.

Results:

Compared with children in the middle weight-tertile, children with a weight in the upper tertile had a 1.36-fold (CI, 1.10–1.69) to 1.72-fold (CI, 1.36–2.18) higher risk of childhood obesity from birth through 9 months, whereas children in the lower weight-tertile had almost half the risk of obesity from 2 through 9 months. The risk of childhood obesity associated with change in weight-tertile in each interval was stable at ∼1.5-fold per weight-tertile increase throughout infancy.

Conclusions:

Infant weight and weight gain are associated with obesity in childhood already during the first months of life. Determinants of weight gain shortly after birth may be a suitable target for prevention of obesity.

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

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Moss BG, Yeaton WH . Young children’s weight trajectories and associated risk factors: results from the early childhood longitudinal study-birth cohort. Am J Health Promot 2011; 25: 190–198.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Reilly JJ, Kelly J . Long-term impact of overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescence on morbidity and premature mortality in adulthood: systematic review. Int J Obes (Lond) 2011; 35: 891–898.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Gillman MW . The first months of life: a critical period for development of obesity. Am J Clin Nutr 2008; 87: 1587–1589.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Hesketh KD, Campbell KJ . Interventions to prevent obesity in 0-5 year olds: an updated systematic review of the literature. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2010; 18: S27–S35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Baird J, Fisher D, Lucas P, Kleijnen J, Roberts H, Law C . Being big or growing fast: systematic review of size and growth in infancy and later obesity. BMJ 2005; 331: 929.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  6. Druet C, Stettler N, Sharp S, Simmons RK, Cooper C, Davey Smith G et al. Prediction of childhood obesity by infancy weight gain: an individual-level meta-analysis. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol 2012; 26: 19–26.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Monteiro PO, Victora CG . Rapid growth in infancy and childhood and obesity in later life—a systematic review. Obes Rev 2005; 6: 143–154.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Ong KK, Loos RJ . Rapid infancy weight gain and subsequent obesity: systematic reviews and hopeful suggestions. Acta Paediatr 2006; 95: 904–908.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Stocks T, Renders CM, Bulk-Bunschoten AM, Hirasing RA, van BS, Seidell JC . Body size and growth in 0- to 4-year-old children and the relation to body size in primary school age. Obes Rev 2011; 12: 637–652.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Stettler N, Stallings VA, Troxel AB, Zhao J, Schinnar R, Nelson SE et al. Weight gain in the first week of life and overweight in adulthood: a cohort study of European American subjects fed infant formula. Circulation 2005; 111: 1897–1903.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Singhal A . Does weight gain in infancy influence the later risk of obesity? J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2010; 51: S119–S120.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Paul IM, Bartok CJ, Downs DS, Stifter CA, Ventura AK, Birch LL . Opportunities for the primary prevention of obesity during infancy. Adv Pediatr 2009; 56: 107–133.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Baker JL, Olsen LW, Andersen I, Pearson S, Hansen B, Sørensen TIA . Cohort profile: the copenhagen school health records register. Int J Epidemiol 2009; 38: 656–662.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Biering-Sørensen F, Hilden J, Biering-Sørensen K . Breast-feeding in Copenhagen, 1938–1977. Data on more than 365 000 infants. Dan Med Bull 1980; 27: 42–48.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. de Onis M, Onyango AW, Borghi E, Siyam A, Nishida C, Siekmann J . Development of a WHO growth reference for school-aged children and adolescents. Bull World Health Organ 2007; 85: 660–667.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  16. Hilden J, Biering-Sørensen K, Biering-Sørensen F . Contraceptives and the new trend in breast-feeding—a causal connection? J Trop Pediatr 1983; 29: 40–44.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Svalastoga K, Wolf P . Prestige, Class and Mobility [In Danish: Social rang og mobilitet], 2nd edn. Gyldendal: København, 1969.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Teasdale TW . Social class correlations among adoptees and their biological and adoptive parents. Behav Genet 1979; 9: 103–114.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Gamborg M, Andersen PK, Baker JL, Budtz-Jørgensen E, Jørgensen T, Jensen G et al. Life course path analysis of birth weight, childhood growth, and adult systolic blood pressure. Am J Epidemiol 2009; 169: 1167–1178.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  20. Cole TJ, Bellizzi MC, Flegal KM, Dietz WH . Establishing a standard definition for child overweight and obesity worldwide: international survey. BMJ 2000; 320: 1240–1243.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  21. Kubota K, Wakana A . Sample-size formula for case-cohort studies. Epidemiology 2011; 22: 279.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Bua J, Olsen LW, Sørensen TIA . Secular trends in childhood obesity in Denmark during 50 years in relation to economic growth. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2007; 15: 977–985.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Cattaneo A, Monasta L, Stamatakis E, Lioret S, Castetbon K, Frenken F et al. Overweight and obesity in infants and pre-school children in the European Union: a review of existing data. Obes Rev 2010; 11: 389–398.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. WHO Multicentre Growth Reference Study Group. WHO Child Growth Standards: lenght/height-for-age, weight-for-age, weight-for-lenght, weight-for-height and body mass index-for-age: methods and development. WHO: Geneva, 2006.

  25. Rolland-Cachera MF, Peneau S . Assessment of growth: variations according to references and growth parameters used. Am J Clin Nutr 2011; 94: 1794S–1798S.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. de Onis M, Garza C, Onyango AW, Borghi E . Comparison of the WHO child growth standards and the CDC 2000 growth charts. J Nutr 2007; 137: 144–148.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Fomon S . Infant feeding in the 20th century: formula and beikost. J Nutr 2001; 131: 409S–420S.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Dennison BA, Edmunds LS, Stratton HH, Pruzek RM . Rapid infant weight gain predicts childhood overweight. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2006; 14: 491–499.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Rolland-Cachera MF . Childhood obesity: current definitions and recommendations for their use. Int J Pediatr Obes 2011; 6: 325–331.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Rugholm S, Baker JL, Olsen LW, Schack-Nielsen L, Bua J, Sørensen TIA . Stability of the association between birth weight and childhood overweight during the development of the obesity epidemic. Obes Res 2005; 13: 2187–2194.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Ong KK . Size at birth, postnatal growth and risk of obesity. Horm Res 2006; 65: 65–69.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Aksglæde L, Juul A, Olsen LW, Sørensen TIA . Age at puberty and the emerging obesity epidemic. PLoS One 2009; 4: e8450.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  33. Chomtho S, Wells JC, Williams JE, Davies PS, Lucas A, Fewtrell MS . Infant growth and later body composition: evidence from the 4-component model. Am J Clin Nutr 2008; 87: 1776–1784.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Ong KK, Emmett P, Northstone K, Golding J, Rogers I, Ness AR et al. Infancy weight gain predicts childhood body fat and age at menarche in girls. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2009; 94: 1527–1532.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Larnkjær A, Schack-Nielsen L, Mølgaard C, Ingstrup HK, Holst JJ, Michaelsen KF . Effect of growth in infancy on body composition, insulin resistance, and concentration of appetite hormones in adolescence. Am J Clin Nutr 2010; 91: 1675–1683.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Leunissen RW, Kerkhof GF, Stijnen T, Hokken-Koelega A . Timing and tempo of first-year rapid growth in relation to cardiovascular and metabolic risk profile in early adulthood. JAMA 2009; 301: 2234–2242.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Horta BL, Bahl R, Martines JC, Victoria CG . Evidence on the long-term effects of breastfeeding: systematic review and meta-analyses. World Health Organization 1-1-2007, http://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/documents/9241595230/en/index.html (accessed on 21 January 2012).

  38. Schack-Nielsen L, Sørensen TIA, Mortensen EL, Michaelsen KF . Late introduction of complementary feeding, rather than duration of breastfeeding, may protect against adult overweight. Am J Clin Nutr 2009; 91: 619–627.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  39. Taveras EM, Rifas-Shiman SL, Belfort MB, Kleinman KP, Oken E, Gillman MW . Weight status in the first 6 months of life and obesity at 3 years of age. Pediatrics 2009; 123: 1177–1183.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Monteiro PO, Victora CG, Barros FC, Monteiro LM . Birth size, early childhood growth, and adolescent obesity in a Brazilian birth cohort. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2003; 27: 1274–1282.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Gluckman PD, Hanson MA, Cooper C, Thornburg KL . Effect of in utero and early-life conditions on adult health and disease. N Engl J Med 2008; 359: 61–73.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  42. Hanson M, Gluckman P . Developmental origins of noncommunicable disease: population and public health implications. Am J Clin Nutr 2011; 94: 1754S–1758S.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank Axel Skytthe, Ph.D., and Professor Tina Kold Jensen for their assistance in collection of the infant health visitor data, current and former infant health visitors Charlotte Westerlin Nielsen, Ruth Lewkowitz, Inga Axelsen, Anna Grosen, Elisabeth Olsson and Birte Sørensen for information about the infant health visitor’s system in the 1960s, and Michael Gamborg, Ph.D., for assistance in management of the Copenhagen School Health Record Register and advice on statistical analysis. This study received support from the Danish Heart Foundation, the Rosalie Petersen’s Foundation, the Aase and Ejner Danielsen’s Foundation, the Danish PhD School of Molecular Metabolism, University of Copenhagen, the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Capital region of Denmark. This work was carried out as a part of the research program of the Danish Obesity Research Center (DanORC). DanORC is supported by the Danish Council for Strategic Research (grant 2101–06–0005).

Author contributions

The authors’ responsibilities were as follows: TIAS designed research; TIAS, LGA, CH, and JLB conducted research; TIAS provided the data; LGA, JLB, TIAS, CH and KFM analyzed data; LGA, JLB, TIAS and KFM wrote the paper; LGA had final responsibility for final manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Preventive Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark

    L G Andersen, C Holst, J L Baker & T I A Sørensen

  2. Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    K F Michaelsen

Authors
  1. L G Andersen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. C Holst
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. K F Michaelsen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. J L Baker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. T I A Sørensen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to L G Andersen.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Supplementary Information accompanies the paper on International Journal of Obesity website

Supplementary information

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Andersen, L., Holst, C., Michaelsen, K. et al. Weight and weight gain during early infancy predict childhood obesity: a case-cohort study. Int J Obes 36, 1306–1311 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2012.134

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2012.134

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links