title: Influence of weight gain rate on early life nutritional status and body composition of children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the influence of the weight gain rate at 4-6 months on nutritional status and body composition in children between 4 and 7 years of age.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective cohort study, sample of 257 children. Data collection was performed in two stages, with the first relating to retrospective data of weight gain from birth to the first 4-6 months of life in the patient records. Measurements of weight, height, waist circumference, and body composition in children between ages 4 and 7 years were obtained. Nutritional status was assessed by the BMI/age. Control variables, such as pregnancy, breastfeeding, lifestyle, and sociodemographics, were studied. Descriptive analysis and multiple linear regression were performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the nutritional status assessment, the prevalence of overweight observed was 24.9%. After adjusting for control variables, it was found that the increase of the WGR at 4-6 months of age explained the occurrence of higher BMI/age, percentage of total body fat, body fat percentage in the android region, and waist circumference in children between 4 and 7 years of age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The increase of the WGR in the first months of life can lead to the occurrence of higher values of parameters of nutritional status and body composition in later life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Health, Federal University of Viçosa, 36570-000 Viçosa, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sarah Aparecida
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-0304-2711
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Health, Federal University of Viçosa, 36570-000 Viçosa, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Taís Cristina Araújo
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Magalhães
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Health, Federal University of Viçosa, 36570-000 Viçosa, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Andréia Queiroz
authors.initials: AQ
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Health, Federal University of Viçosa, 36570-000 Viçosa, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Silvia Eloiza
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Priore
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Health, Federal University of Viçosa, 36570-000 Viçosa, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sylvia do Carmo Castro
authors.initials: Sdo C
authors.lastname: Franceschini
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Health, Federal University of Viçosa, 36570-000 Viçosa, MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luciana Ferreira da Rocha
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Sant'Ana
mesh_terms: D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology*