title: Evolution of obesity in a low birth weight cohort.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to determine the evolution of obesity status (OS) in a longitudinal cohort of low birth weight preterm (LBWPT) infants to an age of 8 years, and to determine whether rapid weight gain in the first year of life independently predicts 8-year OS.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 985 infants (birth weight ≤2500 g, gestation age ≤37 weeks) were recruited from the nursery in an eight-site intervention research program and were evaluated at an age of 3, 5, 6.5 and 8 years. Weight and height were measured by standard protocol at each visit and body mass index was calculated. Obesity status is ≥95% for age and sex. Multiple logistic analyses were performed on 8-year OS with predictor variables including infant race, gender, small for gestational age status, birth weight category, neonatal health index, treatment group and first-year weight gain; maternal education and weight status before conception; and HOME Inventory.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 2.3% were OS at an age of 3 years, 6.1% at an age of 5 years, 7.7% at age 6.5 years and 8.7% at an age 8 years. OS varied by birth weight category at each visit. The infants born ≤1500 g had the lowest prevalence of OS at each age. In the logistic regression, maternal race (Hispanic) (adjusted odds ratio=2.8, confidence interval=1.2 to 6.8), maternal obese status (adjusted odds ratio 3.4, confidence interval=1.5 to 7.8) and first-year weight gain (adjusted odds ratio=2.7, confidence interval=1.9 to 3.9), significantly predicted 8-year OS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  OS is common in LBWPT infants during childhood, and prevalence varies by birth weight category. High weight gain in the first year of life is an important predictor of the development of OS in LBWPT children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA. CaseyPatrickH@uams.edu
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Casey
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Bradley
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Whiteside-Mansell
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Barrett
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gossett
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Simpson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D001724:Birth Weight; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight / Q000254:growth & development*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017678:Sex Distribution; D015430:Weight Gain