Gestational Weight Gain and Offspring  Longitudinal Growth in Early Life.
BACKGROUND
Excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) increases the risk of childhood obesity, but little is known about its association with infant growth patterns.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to examine the association between GWG and infant growth patterns.


METHODS
Pregnant women (n = 743) self-reported GWG at delivery, which we classified as inadequate, adequate or excessive based on the current guidelines. Offspring weight-for-age z-score (WAZ), length-for-age z-score (LAZ (with height-for-age (HAZ) in place of length at 36 months)) and body mass index z-score (BMIZ) were calculated at birth, 8, 18 and 36 months using the 2006 World Health Organization growth standards. Linear mixed models estimated the change in z-score from birth to 36 months by GWG.


RESULTS
The mean (SD) WAZ was -0.22 (1.20) at birth. Overall, WAZ and BMIZ increased from birth to, approximately, 24 months and decreased from 24 to 36 months, while LAZ/HAZ decreased from birth through 36 months. Excessive GWG was associated with higher offspring WAZ and BMIZ at birth, 8 and 36 months, and higher HAZ at 36 months, compared with adequate GWG. Compared with the same referent, inadequate GWG was associated with smaller WAZ and BMIZ at birth and 8 months.


CONCLUSIONS
Excessive GWG may predispose infants to obesogenic growth patterns, while inadequate GWG may not have a lasting impact on infant growth.
Jill C
JC
Diesel
Cara L
CL
Eckhardt
Nancy L
NL
Day
Maria M
MM
Brooks
Silva A
SA
Arslanian
Lisa M
LM
Bodnar
D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006128:Growth / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000209:etiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D039401:Prenatal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult