title: Parental anthropometrics, early growth and the risk of overweight in pre-school children: the Generation R Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are limited data regarding the associations of both maternal and paternal anthropometrics with longitudinally measured post-natal growth measures in early childhood.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the associations of maternal and paternal anthropometrics with growth characteristics and the risk of overweight in pre-school children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population-based prospective cohort study from early foetal life onwards in the Netherlands.
  
  
  METHODS
  Maternal pre-pregnancy anthropometrics and gestational weight gain, and paternal anthropometrics were related to foetal and post-natal growth measures and the risk of overweight until the age of 4 years. Analyses were based on 5674 mothers, fathers and their children.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both pre-pregnancy maternal and paternal height, weight and body mass index were associated with corresponding foetal and post-natal anthropometric measures. Maternal body mass index had a significantly stronger effect on childhood body mass index than paternal body mass index. As compared to children from parents with normal body mass index, children from two obese parents had an increased risk of overweight at the age of 4 years (odds ratio 6.52 (95% confidence interval 3.44, 12.38). Maternal gestational weight gain was only among mothers with normal body mass index associated with body mass index and the risk of overweight in the children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maternal and paternal anthropometrics affect early growth in pre-school children differently. Gestational weight gain in mothers without overweight and obesity is related to the risk of overweight in early childhood.
authors.affiliation: The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Durmuş
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Arends
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ay
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Hokken-Koelega
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Raat
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hofman
authors.forename: E A P
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Steegers
authors.forename: V W V
authors.initials: VW
authors.lastname: Jaddoe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010290:Parents; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015430:Weight Gain