title: Weight gain in infancy and vascular risk factors in later childhood.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We hypothesized that early weight gain would be associated with incident obesity, higher blood pressure, systemic inflammation, and arterial wall thickening in later childhood.
  
  
  METHODS
  A longitudinal birth cohort was recruited antenatally from 2 maternity hospitals in Sydney, Australia, between September 1997 and December 1999. Three hundred ninety-five nondiabetic children who were followed to age 8 years had complete data for early weight gain and arterial wall thickness.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Independent predictors of excess early weight gain (age 0-18 months; adjusted for height gain) included male gender (0.411 kg [SE: 0.103], P < .001), fewer weeks' gestation (-0.121 kg [SE: 0.044] per week, P = .006), birth length (0.156 kg [SE: 0.024] per cm, P < .001), and failure to breastfeed to 6 months of age (0.498 kg [SE: 0.108], P < .001). Early height-adjusted weight gain was significantly associated with later childhood overweight (odds ratio [OR]: 1.67 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.26 to 2.20] per kg) and obesity (OR: 2.07 [95% CI: 1.53 to 2.79] per kg), excess central adiposity (OR: 1.54 [95% CI: 1.20 to 1.98] per kg), higher systolic blood pressure (1.24 mm Hg [SE: 0.33] per kg, P < .001), higher C-reactive protein (0.17 mg/dL [SE: 0.06] per 100% increase in weight gain, P = .006), and greater carotid intima-media thickness (0.012 mm [SE: 0.004] per kg, P = .002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early postnatal weight gain from birth to age 18 months is significantly associated with later childhood overweight and obesity, excess central adiposity, and greater arterial wall thickness.
authors.affiliation: Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, Australia. michael.skilton@sydney.edu.au
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Skilton
authors.forename: Guy B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Marks
authors.forename: Julian G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Ayer
authors.forename: Frances L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Garden
authors.forename: Sarah P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Garnett
authors.forename: Jason A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Harmer
authors.forename: Stephen R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Leeder
authors.forename: Brett G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Toelle
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Webb
authors.forename: Louise A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Baur
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Celermajer
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity / Q000502:physiology*; D000886:Anthropometry; D001315:Australia; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: blood pressure; carotid intima-media thickness; inflammation; obesity; risk factor