Lifestyle counselling targeting infant's mother during the child's first year and offspring weight development until 4 years of age: a follow-up study of a cluster RCT.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of intensified lifestyle counselling targeting infants' mothers on offspring weight development during the first 4 years of life.


METHODS
Follow-up of a cluster-randomised controlled trial in primary care child health clinics during 2004-2006 in Finland. Participants received a follow-up survey during 2010 concerning weight and height measurements of their offspring. Number of clusters was six and the response rate to the follow-up 71.9% (N=64/89).


METHODS
The participants (N=89) were mothers of infants aged 2-10 months.


METHODS
The intervention included individual counselling on diet and physical activity when the infant was 2-10 months of age and an option to attend supervised group exercise sessions.


METHODS
The authors analysed the secondary outcome of the intervention study: the weight development of the offspring. The primary outcome was the proportion of women returning to their prepregnancy weight by 10 months post partum, reported earlier.


RESULTS
Multilevel mixed effect non-linear regression models included group, age of the child and interaction between group and age of the child. The increase of BMI z-score between 24 and 48 months was slower among the intervention group offspring (-0.034 to -0.002, p=0.028) as compared with control group. Z-scores for weight-for-length/height did not differ between groups when the period 0-48 months was analysed (p=0.23) but for the period of 24-48 months, between-group differences were significant (p=0.012).


CONCLUSIONS
Lifestyle counselling targeting mothers during the child's first year may be effective in slowing offspring weight gain until 4 years of age. However, larger studies are needed to confirm the findings which may have the potential in combatting the obesity epidemic.


BACKGROUND
Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN21512277.
Department of Pediatrics, Central Hospital of Seinäjoki, Seinäjoki, Finland.
Taina
T
Mustila
Jani
J
Raitanen
Päivi
P
Keskinen
Antti
A
Saari
Riitta
R
Luoto