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Weight gain in infancy and early childhood is associated with school age body mass index but not intelligence and blood pressure in very low birth weight children

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 July 2010

L. Washburn ,
P. Nixon ,
B. Snively ,
A. Tennyson  and
T. M. O’Shea
L. Washburn*
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
P. Nixon
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA Department of Health and Exercise Science, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
B. Snively
Affiliation:
Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
A. Tennyson
Affiliation:
Department of Health and Exercise Science, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA
T. M. O’Shea
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
*
*Address for correspondence: L. Washburn, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Pediatrics, Medical Center Blvd, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27104, USA. (Email [email protected])
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Abstract

Rates of weight gain in infancy and early childhood can influence later neurocognitive, metabolic and cardiovascular health. We studied the relationship of weight gain during infancy and early childhood to intelligence quotient (IQ), blood pressure (BP) and body mass index (BMI) at age 9 in children born with very low birth weight (VLBW). Sixty-five children born prematurely with VLBW were followed longitudinally and at 9 years IQ, BP and BMI were measured. The mean weight z-scores at birth, neonatal intensive care discharge, 1 year corrected for prematurity, 5 and 9 years were −0.17, −2.09, −1.3, −0.68 and 0.06, respectively. Weight gain during infancy (discharge to 1 year corrected for prematurity) and early childhood (1 year corrected age to 5 years) was expressed as rate of change in weight, rate of change in weight z-score and interval change in weight z-score. In multiple regression analyses that adjusted for race, gender, maternal education, antenatal steroids, birth weight z-score, major intracranial lesions on ultrasound and chronic lung disease, rates of weight gain in infancy and early childhood were predictive of BMI z-score at 9 years, regression coefficients (95% confidence intervals); 0.19 (0.02, 0.36) and 0.37 (0.11, 0.63), respectively, expressed as change in BMI z-score per 10 g/week weight increase. Rates of weight gain were not predictive of systolic BP z-score, Verbal IQ or Performance IQ. In VLBW infants, more rapid weight gain during infancy, and especially early childhood, is associated with higher BMI at school age.

Keywords

follow-upgrowthoutcomesprematurity
Type
Original Articles
Information
Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease , Volume 1 , Issue 5 , October 2010 , pp. 338 - 346
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and the International Society for Developmental Origins of Health and Disease 2010

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