Study: Neonatal Adiposity Linked to Higher Bmi in Young Children

Childhood overweight and obesity is linked to many health problems, including metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. The stage is set for obesity during prenatal development, beginning as early as the midpoint of pregnancy, which suggests that pregnancy may be an ideal time to intervene. The study, “Neonatal Adiposity and Childhood Obesity” found evidence that higher neonatal fat mass percentage is significantly associated with higher overall BMI levels and an increased likelihood of overweight and obesity between 2 to 6 years old. The study, published in the September 2020 issue of Pediatrics and online on Aug. 13, also found that the association was similar in boys and girls, across racial/ethnic groups, and did not differ according to breastfeeding duration. The study was conducted by investigators from the Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center at the Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

Editor’s Note: A solicited commentary, “Bridging Obstetrics and Pediatrics to Close the Life Span Gap in Child Obesity Research” is also be published.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.