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Fetal, infant and childhood growth: relationships with body composition in Brazilian boys aged 9 years

International Journal of Obesity volume 29, pages 1192–1198 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Early growth rate has been linked to later obesity categorised by body mass index (BMI), but the development of body composition has rarely been studied.

METHODS:

We tested the hypotheses that (1) birthweight and weight gain in (2) infancy or (3) childhood are associated with later body composition, in 172 Brazilian boys followed longitudinally since birth. Growth was assessed using measurements of weight and height at birth, 6 months, and 1 and 4 y. Measurements at 9 y comprised height, weight and body composition using foot–foot impedance.

RESULTS:

Birthweight was associated with later height and lean mass (LM), but not fatness. Weight gain 0–6 months was associated with later height and LM, and with obesity prevalence according to BMI, but not with fatness. Weight gain 1–4 y was associated with later fatness and LM. Weight gain 4–9 y was strongly associated with fatness but not LM. Early growth rate did not correlate positively with subsequent growth rate.

CONCLUSIONS:

Early rapid weight gain increased the risk of later obesity, but not through a direct effect on fatness. Childhood weight gain remained the dominant risk factor for later obesity. The reported link between early growth and later obesity may be due partly to hormonal programming, and partly to the contribution of LM to obesity indices based on weight and height. Whether our findings apply to other populations requires further research.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Danton Soares Filho and Maria da Graça Dias Stalla during the fieldwork for this study. JCKW also thanks the Wellcome Trust for funding the initial research visit. JCKW has received funding and equipment from Tanita UK. No other author has any conflict of interest. The study was conceived and designed by JW and CV. All authors contributed to analyses and drafting the manuscript. Professor Tim Cole, of the Institute of Child Health, London, advised on statistical analyses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. MRC Childhood Nutrition Research Centre, Institute of Child Health, London, UK

    J C K Wells & A Singhal

  2. Post-graduate Program in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil

    P C Hallal & C G Victora

  3. MRC Human Nutrition Research, Elsie Widdowson Laboratory, Cambridge, UK

    A Wright

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  1. J C K Wells
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  2. P C Hallal
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  3. A Wright
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  4. A Singhal
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  5. C G Victora
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Correspondence to J C K Wells.

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Wells, J., Hallal, P., Wright, A. et al. Fetal, infant and childhood growth: relationships with body composition in Brazilian boys aged 9 years. Int J Obes 29, 1192–1198 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0803054

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