Rapid increase in weight-height proportion in a baby's first 6 months, linked to childhood obesity

A new study led by researchers in the Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention at Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, as well as Children's Hospital Boston, has found that rapid gain in the weight-to-length proportion (z-score) during the first six months of life may place a child at risk for obesity by age 3.

In this study, researchers used data for 559 mother-baby pairs. They measured the weight-to-length proportion (z-score) for each baby at birth and 6 months and the BMI (Body Mass Index) at 3 years.  The found that babies who's weight-to-length proportion had increased rapidly from 0 to 6 months (ie., high weight gain without proportional length gain) were at sharply higher risk of obesity at the age of 3. 

This is another piece of evidence in the growing body of research that shows an increasing connection between early childhood nutrition, and obesity. " "There is still a lot more we need to understand about the mechanisms of how this all fits together," says Elsie Taveras, the lead author of this study. The study was published in the April edition of Pediatrics.