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Sample abstract

BOTH INFANCY AND CHILDHOOD WEIGHT GAIN PREDICT OBESITY RISK AT AGE 17 YEARS: PROSPECTIVE BIRTH COHORT STUDY

Ulf Ekelund1, Ken K Ong2, Yvonne M Linn3, Martin G Neovius3, Soren Brage1, David D Dunger2, Nicholas J Wareham1, Stephan Rossner3

1 MRC Epidemiology Unit, Cambridge, United Kingdom ; 2 University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom and 3 Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.

Background: Rapid postnatal weight gain predicts later obesity and other adverse outcomes. However, it is unclear whether the critical period of postnatal weight gain in relation to later obesity is during infancy or childhood. We therefore compared the relationships between infancy versus childhood weight gain on obesity risk at age 17 years.

Methods: In the Stockholm Weight Development Study (SWEDES), a prospective birth cohort study, we studied 248 (103 males) singletons who had height and weight measured at birth and annually until age 6 years. Weight gain was assessed by calculating changes in weight SD score in infancy (between 0-2 years) and in childhood (between 3-6 years). At 17 years, fat mass (FM), and fat free mass (FFM) were measured by-air displacement plethysmography.

Results: Both infancy and childhood weight gain independently predicted greater BMI, waist circumference, FM, percent body fat, and FFM at 17 years (all P<0.001). Infancy weight gain also predicted taller height at 17 years (P<0.001). Rapid weight gain, defined as an increase in weight SD score greater than 0.67 SD, was more common during infancy (26.6% of all children) than during childhood (8.8%).

Conclusions: Both infancy and childhood weight gain independently predicted obesity risk at age 17 years. Rapid weight gain was more common during infancy ( catch-up ) and also predicted taller adult height. Rapid infancy and childhood weight gain appear to be different processes, and may allow separate opportunities for early intervention against later obesity risk.

Presentation preferred: Oral or Poster

Bursary application: 1. Africa Educational Trust – Research relevant to Africa

2. Swansea University – Research relevant to child diabetes health

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