title: Gestational weight gain and predicted changes in offspring anthropometrics between early infancy and 3 years.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine how gestational weight gain (GWG), categorized using the 2009 Institute of Medicine recommendations, relates to changes in offspring weight-for-age (WAZ), length-for-age (LAZ) and weight-for-length z-scores (WLZ) between early infancy and 3 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women with singleton infants were recruited from the third cohort of the Pregnancy, Infection, and Nutrition Study (2001-2005). Term infants with at least one weight or length measurement during the study period were included (n = 476). Multivariable linear mixed effects regression models estimated longitudinal changes in WAZ, LAZ and WLZ associated with GWG.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In early infancy, compared with infants of women with adequate weight gain, those of women with excessive weight gains had higher WAZ, LAZ and WLZ. Excessive GWG ≥ 200% of the recommended amount was associated with faster rates of change in WAZ and LAZ and noticeably higher predicted mean WAZ and WLZ that persisted across the study period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GWG is associated with significant differences in offspring anthropometrics in early infancy that persisted to 3 years of age. More longitudinal studies that utilize maternal and paediatric body composition measures are necessary to understand the nature of this association.
authors.affiliation: School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina Gillings, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. andrea.deierlein@mssm.edu
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Deierlein
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Siega-Riz
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Herring
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Adair
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Daniels
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult