title: Prognosis of infantile obesity: Is infantile obesity "benign" childhood obesity?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obesity occurring earlier than 2 years of age is categorized as "benign" childhood obesity. In other words, no treatment is required for this type of obesity, and its course can simply be followed without any particular intervention. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether early infantile obesity is actually benign childhood obesity.
  
  
  METHODS
  The stature (length) and weight growth distance curves and growth velocity curves were determined for an obese infant (patient A), of his parents in infancy, and of his younger sister to determine whether their obesity in infancy was the benign childhood obesity. These data were also compared with other obese infants and those of normal infants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patient A's weight growth velocity declined until the age of 6 months and was then constant from 7 months onward. Because patient A's weight growth velocity curve followed the same pattern as that seen in a normal infant, despite differing in degree, the reason why this patient became obese in early infancy was probably insufficient deceleration of his weight growth velocity compared to that of a normal infant. In addition, the weight growth patterns and growth velocities of his parents and young sister during infancy were similar to those of the patient.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present four subjects had benign childhood obesity. In addition, six other cases of infantile obesity have been encountered at the authors' pediatric outpatient clinic. The clinical characteristics of infantile obesity are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Human Ecology, Wayo Women's University, Ichikawa City, ChibaDepartment of Pediatrics and Child Health, Nihon University School of Medicine, Itabashi, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Reiko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sugiura
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Human Ecology, Wayo Women's University, Ichikawa City, ChibaDepartment of Pediatrics and Child Health, Nihon University School of Medicine, Itabashi, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Human Ecology, Wayo Women's University, Ichikawa City, ChibaDepartment of Pediatrics and Child Health, Nihon University School of Medicine, Itabashi, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsunori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murata
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006128:Growth; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011379:Prognosis