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Which infancy growth parameters are associated with later adiposity? The Cambridge Baby Growth Study.

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

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Article

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Authors

Ong, Ken K 
Prentice, PM 
Petry, CJ 

Abstract

Background: Highly consistent positive associations are reported between infancy growth and later obesity risk. However, it is unclear whether infancy growth parameters beyond body weight add to the prediction of later obesity risk.Aim: To assess whether infancy length and skinfold thicknesses add to infancy weight in the prediction of childhood adiposity.Subjects and methods: This analysis included 254 children with available data on infant growth from birth to 24 months and childhood adiposity at age 6-11 years measured by DXA. Multilevel linear regression was used to examine the predictors of childhood percent body fat (%BF), with adjustment for sex and age at follow-up visit.Results: Birth weight and weight gain (modelled as changes in z-score) between 0-3 months and 3-24 months showed independent positive relationships with childhood %BF. The addition of gains in infant length and skinfolds between 0-3 months, but not 3-24 months, improved overall model prediction, from 18.7% to 20.7% of the variance in childhood %BF (likelihood ratio test, p < 0.0001), although their independent effect estimates were small (infant length gain: negative trend, partial R-square 0.6%, p = 0.2; skinfolds: positive trend, 1.3%, p = 0.09).Conclusion: Infancy length and skinfolds contribute significantly, but only modestly, to the prediction of childhood adiposity.

Description

Keywords

Infancy, adiposity, growth, obesity, prediction, weight gain, Adiposity, Birth Weight, Child, Child Development, Child, Preschool, Female, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Male, Pediatric Obesity, Weight Gain

Journal Title

Ann Hum Biol

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0301-4460
1464-5033

Volume Title

47

Publisher

Informa UK Limited

Rights

All rights reserved
Sponsorship
Medical Research Council (MC_UU_12015/2)
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH) (146281)
Medical Research Council (G1001995)
MRC (MC_UU_00006/2)
Medical Research Council (G1001995/1)
The CBGS has been funded by the Medical Research Council (7500001180, G1001995), European Union Framework 5 (QLK4-1999-01422), the Mothercare Charitable Foundation (RG54608), Newlife Foundation for Disabled Children (07/20), and the World Cancer Research Fund International (2004/03). This research was also supported by the National Institute for Health Research/Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the NIHR Cambridge Comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre. KKO and TSC are supported by the Medical Research Council (Unit programme: MC_UU_12015/2). The sponsors had no role in the study design, collection, analysis or interpretation of the data, the writing of the manuscript or the decision to submit it for publication.