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Maternal and pediatric nutrition

Infant weight growth velocity patterns and general and abdominal adiposity in school-age children. The Generation R Study

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 70, pages 1144–1150 (2016)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/Objectives:

The objective of this study was to examine the association of individually derived infant weight growth velocity patterns with general and abdominal adiposity measures in childhood.

Subjects/Methods:

In a population-based prospective cohort study among 5126 children, we used repeated growth measurements between 0 and 3 years of age to derive peak weight velocity (PWV), age at adiposity peak (AGEAP) and body mass index at adiposity peak (BMIAP). At the median age of 6.0 years (95% range 5.7, 6.8), we estimated body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, android/gynoid fat mass ratio and pre-peritoneal abdominal fat area by using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and abdominal ultrasound.

Results:

Higher infant PWV and BMIAP were associated with higher childhood BMI, body fat percentage, android/gynoid fat mass ratio and pre-peritoneal abdominal fat area (all P-values<0.05), with the strongest effect estimates for BMI (differences in BMI: 0.37 standard deviation (s.d.), 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.34, 0.39 and 0.45 s.d. (95% CI: 0.43, 0.48) per 1-s.d. increase in infant PWV and BMIAP, respectively). Infant AGEAP in the highest tertile (>0.75 years) was associated with higher general and abdominal adiposity among girls at the age of 6 years (all P-values<0.05). Similarly, a 1-s.d. higher infant PWV and BMIAP were associated with increased risks of childhood overweight (odds ratios (95% CI): 2.1 (1.9, 2.3) and 2.5 (2.2, 2.8), respectively). These associations were independent of gestational age and size at birth and tended to be stronger among girls.

Conclusions:

Higher infant PWV and BMIAP are associated with adverse general and abdominal fat distribution profiles and increased risks of overweight at school age. Whether infant growth patterns add to the prediction of later overweight should be further studied.

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Acknowledgements

The Generation R Study is conducted by the Erasmus Medical Center in close collaboration with the School of Law and Faculty of Social Sciences of the Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Municipal Health Service Rotterdam area, Rotterdam, the Rotterdam Homecare Foundation, Rotterdam, and the Stichting Trombosedienst and Artsenlaboratorium Rijnmond (STAR), Rotterdam. We gratefully acknowledge the contribution of participating mothers, general practitioners, hospitals, midwives and pharmacies in Rotterdam. The Generation R Study is financially supported by the Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Erasmus University Rotterdam and the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development. Vincent Jaddoe received an additional grant from the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development (NWO, ZonMw-VIDI 016.136.361) and an European Research Council Consolidator Grant (ERC-2014-CoG-648916). The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013), project EarlyNutrition under grant no289346. Abdominal ultrasound assessments were partially funded by an unrestricted grant from Danone Early Nutrition. CJK, OG, RG and VWVJ designed and conducted the research and wrote the paper. CJK and OG analyzed the data. AH provided comments and consultation regarding the analyses and manuscript. CJK had primary responsibility for final content. All authors gave final approval of the version to be published.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    C J Kruithof, O Gishti, R Gaillard & V W V Jaddoe

  2. Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    C J Kruithof, O Gishti, A Hofman, R Gaillard & V W V Jaddoe

  3. Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    O Gishti, R Gaillard & V W V Jaddoe

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  1. C J Kruithof
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Correspondence to V W V Jaddoe.

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Kruithof, C., Gishti, O., Hofman, A. et al. Infant weight growth velocity patterns and general and abdominal adiposity in school-age children. The Generation R Study. Eur J Clin Nutr 70, 1144–1150 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2016.60

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