EFN

A new study indicates, for kids who gain weight quickly during their first six months of life could be at a higher risk of being obese by the age of three.

The report, which can be seen in the April issue of the journal “Pediatrics,” studied aproxsimitly 559 children in the Boston area.They found a baby’s weight-to-height ratio at that critical six-month point was a better predictor of obesity later in life than previously studied factors like birth weight, the size of the parents and how many pounds the mother put on during pregnancy.

When adapting for varibles such as the babies’ length, researchers discovered that those who increased their body-mass index (BMI) during their first six months were more likely to be classified as obese at age 3.

“There is increasing evidence that rapid changes in weight during infancy increase children’s risk of later obesity,” stated co-author Elsie Taveras, assistant professor in the Harvard Medical School (HMS) Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention.

Exuberant weight gain during pregnancy could be a factor, Taveras said. Or parents might not be picking up on their infant’s hunger or satiety cues. Even beliefs that “baby fat” will go away could be affecting how parents think about feeding their children.

The finding were equal for both girls and boys, and the team encountered no difference between babies who were breast or formula fed.