Birth weight and overweight/obesity in adults: a meta-analysis

Zhao, Yan; Wang, Sufang; Mu, Min; Sheng, Jie

doi:10.1007/s00431-012-1701-0

Cited by 102 publications

(90 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…A systematic review and meta-analysis showed that high birth weight (>4,000 g) is associated with an increased risk of obesity [27]. Other studies also confirmed that high birth weight contributes to later childhood obesity [7, 24, 26, 28, 29] and to increased body fat mass [23]. Low birth weight (<2,500 g) occurs due to inadequate intrauterine conditions that lead to abnormal fetal development, and although the influence of low birth weight on the development of obesity is still not so clear [27], it has been associated with lower lean body mass and greater central adiposity, measured by the waist-to-hip ratio or skinfold thickness in adults [30, 31].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 85%

“…The relationship between high birth weight and later obesity might be explained by disturbances during critical periods of development (such as intrauterine growth and infancy), which may cause permanent metabolic, physiological and structural adaptations [29]. Other related factors include gestational overnutrition, maternal diabetes mellitus, maternal obesity, excessive maternal weight gain and prolonged gestation, which increase the risk of later obesity [28, 58] and have also been related to premature delivery. In a study which included more than 1 million women from 84 studies [59], analysis confirmed that overweight and obese women had a higher risk of delivering prior to 32 weeks of gestation and had a higher risk of induced delivery before 37 weeks; also, being overweight or obese was associated with a 30% increased risk of early delivery [59].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Association between Characteristics at Birth, Breastfeeding and Obesity in 22 Countries: The WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative – COSI 2015/2017

et al. 2019

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Background: In Europe, although the prevalence of childhood obesity seems to be plateauing in some countries, progress on tackling this important public health issue remains slow and inconsistent. Breastfeeding has been described as a protective factor, and the more exclusively and the longer children are breastfed, the greater their protection from obesity. Birth weight has been shown to have a positive association with later risk for obesity. Objectives: It was the aim of this paper to investigate the association of early-life factors, namely breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding and birth weight, with obesity among children. Method: Data from 22 participating countries in the WHO European COSI study (round 4: 2015/2017) were collected using cross-sectional, nationally representative samples of 6- to 9-year-olds (n = 100,583). The children’s standardized weight and height measurements followed a common WHO protocol. Information on the children’s birth weight and breastfeeding practice and duration was collected through a family record form. A multivariate multilevel logistic regression analysis regarding breastfeeding practice (both general and exclusive) and characteristics at birth was performed. Results: The highest prevalence rates of obesity were observed in Spain (17.7%), Malta (17.2%) and Italy (16.8%). A wide between-country disparity in breastfeeding prevalence was found. Tajikistan had the highest percentage of children that were breastfed for ≥6 months (94.4%) and exclusively breastfed for ≥6 months (73.3%). In France, Ireland and Malta, only around 1 in 4 children was breastfed for ≥6 months. Italy and Malta showed the highest prevalence of obesity among children who have never been breastfed (21.2%), followed by Spain (21.0%). The pooled analysis showed that, compared to children who were breastfed for at least 6 months, the odds of being obese were higher among children never breastfed or breastfed for a shorter period, both in case of general (adjusted odds ratio [adjOR] [95% CI] 1.22 [1.16–1.28] and 1.12 [1.07–1.16], respectively) and exclusive breastfeeding (adjOR [95% CI] 1.25 [1.17–1.36] and 1.05 [0.99–1.12], respectively). Higher birth weight was associated with a higher risk of being overweight, which was reported in 11 out of the 22 countries. Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Italy, Poland and Romania showed that children who were preterm at birth had higher odds of being obese, compared to children who were full-term babies. Conclusion: The present work confirms the beneficial effect of breastfeeding against obesity, which was highly increased if children had never been breastfed or had been breastfed for a shorter period. Nevertheless, adoption of exclusive breastfeeding is below global recommendations and far from the target endorsed by the WHO Member States at the World Health Assembly Global Targets for Nutrition of increasing the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding in the first 6 months up to at least 50% by 2025.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Association between Characteristics at Birth, Breastfeeding and Obesity in 22 Countries: The WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative – COSI 2015/2017

et al. 2019

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“…HBW, exposure to GDM, and childhood obesity are associated with an increased risk of obesity in later life, although the effect on hypertension seems variable (Box 2). 18,143,144 Early childhood nutritional status is therefore also crucial in determining the risk of disease for an individual during the course of their lifetime.…”

Section: Obstruction Of the Developing Kidneymentioning

confidence: 99%

Birth weight, malnutrition and kidney-associated outcomes—a global concern

2015

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An adverse intrauterine environment is associated with an increased risk of elevated blood pressure and kidney disease in later life. Many studies have focused on low birth weight, prematurity and growth restriction as surrogate markers of an adverse intrauterine environment; however, high birth weight, exposure to maternal diabetes and rapid growth during early childhood are also emerging as developmental risk factors for chronic diseases. Altered programming of nephron number is an important link between exposure to developmental stressors and subsequent risk of hypertension and kidney disease. Maternal, fetal, and childhood nutrition are crucial contributors to these programming effects. Resource-poor countries experience the sequential burdens of fetal and childhood undernutrition and subsequent overnutrition, which synergistically act to augment the effects of developmental programming; this observation might explain in part the disproportionate burden of chronic disease in these regions. Numerous nutritional interventions have been effective in reducing the short-term risk of low birth weight and prematurity. Understanding the potential long-term benefits of such interventions is crucial to inform policy decisions to interrupt the developmental programming cycle and stem the growing epidemics of hypertension and kidney disease worldwide.

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“…However, due to the continuous increase, in the last two decades, of mean birth weight in several countries worldwide [9,10], it is expected that higher birth weight will play a more important role as a risk factor for further obesity [5,11,12] than low birth weight.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Association between weight at birth and body composition in childhood: A Brazilian cohort study

Pereira-Freire

Lemos

Sousa

et al. 2015

Early Human Development

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Birth weight and overweight/obesity in adults: a meta-analysis

Abstract: Neither positively linear nor J- or U-shaped relations exist between birth weight and overweight/obesity in adults. It is high birth weight, not low birth weight, that is associated with increased risk of overweight/obesity in adults.

Cited by 102 publications

References 29 publications

Association between Characteristics at Birth, Breastfeeding and Obesity in 22 Countries: The WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative – COSI 2015/2017

Association between Characteristics at Birth, Breastfeeding and Obesity in 22 Countries: The WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative – COSI 2015/2017

Birth weight, malnutrition and kidney-associated outcomes—a global concern

Association between weight at birth and body composition in childhood: A Brazilian cohort study

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