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Parental anthropometrics, early growth and the risk of overweight in pre-school children: the Generation R Study
Summary What is already known about this subject Parental obesity is a strong risk factor of childhood obesity. High gestational weight gain is associated with childhood body mass index. Previous studies reported inconsistent associations between parental and child anthropometrics. What this study a...
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Published in: | Pediatric obesity 2013-10, Vol.8 (5), p.339-350 |
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Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | Get full text |
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Summary: | Summary
What is already known about this subject
Parental obesity is a strong risk factor of childhood obesity.
High gestational weight gain is associated with childhood body mass index.
Previous studies reported inconsistent associations between parental and child anthropometrics.
What this study adds
Maternal anthropometrics have stronger effects on fetal anthropometrics than paternal anthropometrics.
Maternal body mass index has a stronger effect on longitudinally measured childhood body mass index than paternal body mass index.
The strongest effect of gestational weight gain on childhood body mass index was seen at the age of 4 years in mothers with normal body mass index.
Background
There are limited data regarding the associations of both maternal and paternal anthropometrics with longitudinally measured post‐natal growth measures in early childhood.
Objective
To assess the associations of maternal and paternal anthropometrics with growth characteristics and the risk of overweight in pre‐school children.
Study design
Population‐based prospective cohort study from early foetal life onwards in the Netherlands.
Methods
Maternal pre‐pregnancy anthropometrics and gestational weight gain, and paternal anthropometrics were related to foetal and post‐natal growth measures and the risk of overweight until the age of 4 years. Analyses were based on 5674 mothers, fathers and their children.
Results
Both pre‐pregnancy maternal and paternal height, weight and body mass index were associated with corresponding foetal and post‐natal anthropometric measures. Maternal body mass index had a significantly stronger effect on childhood body mass index than paternal body mass index. As compared to children from parents with normal body mass index, children from two obese parents had an increased risk of overweight at the age of 4 years (odds ratio 6.52 (95% confidence interval 3.44, 12.38). Maternal gestational weight gain was only among mothers with normal body mass index associated with body mass index and the risk of overweight in the children.
Conclusion
Maternal and paternal anthropometrics affect early growth in pre‐school children differently. Gestational weight gain in mothers without overweight and obesity is related to the risk of overweight in early childhood. |
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ISSN: | 2047-6302 2047-6310 |
DOI: | 10.1111/j.2047-6310.2012.00114.x |