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. 2021:39:e2019088.
doi: 10.1590/1984-0462/2021/39/2019088. Epub 2020 Aug 26.

BIRTH WEIGHT, WEIGHT GAIN, AND OBESITY AMONG CHILDREN IN URUGUAY: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY SINCE BIRTH

[Article in Portuguese, English]
Isabel Pereyra  1 , Andrea Gómez  2 , Karina Jaramillo  2 , Augusto Ferreira  1
Affiliations

BIRTH WEIGHT, WEIGHT GAIN, AND OBESITY AMONG CHILDREN IN URUGUAY: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY SINCE BIRTH

[Article in Portuguese, English]
Isabel Pereyra et al. Rev Paul Pediatr. 2021.

Abstract
in English, Portuguese

Objective: To examine the effect of birth weight and subsequent weight gain on children being overweight and obese in serial assessments of Uruguayan children living at urban areas.

Methods: We used secondary data of pediatric anthropometric measurements and health and socioeconomic characteristics of families that were included in a longitudinal and prospective nationally representative survey ("Encuesta de Nutrición, Desarrollo Infantil y Salud"). The associations of conditional weight gain, being overweight and obesity were tested through correlation coefficients. Multivariate binary logistic regression models were performed to calculate the effect of birth weight on childhood obesity and were adjusted for covariates.

Results: For macrosomic babies, there was an increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in 70% compared with non-macrosomic babies, when we adjusted for sex, exclusive breastfeeding duration, and household income. The correlation between weight gain and the body mass index for age indicated that the greatest (positive) difference in Z score between measurements increased the obesity levels.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that ensuring optimal birth weight and monitoring and controlling posterior weight gain represent the first steps toward primary prevention of childhood obesity.

Objetivo:: Analisar o efeito do peso ao nascer e do ganho ponderal subsequente em crianças com sobrepeso e obesidade com base em avaliações consecutivas de crianças uruguaias vivendo em áreas urbanas.

Métodos:: Foram utilizados dados secundários de medidas antropométricas pediátricas, além de características de saúde e socioeconômicas de famílias incluídas em um inquérito prospectivo e longitudinal de representatividade nacional (“Encuesta de Nutrición, Desarrollo Infantil y Salud”). As associações entre ganho ponderal condicional, sobrepeso e obesidade foram testadas por meio de coeficientes de correlação. Modelos de regressão logística binária multivariada foram construídos para calcular o efeito do peso ao nascer sobre a obesidade infantil e ajustados por covariáveis.

Resultados:: Bebês macrossômicos tiveram um aumento de 70% na prevalência de sobrepeso e obesidade em comparação a bebês não-macrossômicos, quando ajustado por sexo, duração do aleitamento materno exclusivo e renda familiar. A correlação entre ganho ponderal e índice de massa corporal para idade mostrou que a maior diferença (positiva) de escore z entre as medições aumentou os níveis de obesidade.

Conclusões:: Os achados deste estudo sugerem que garantir o peso ideal ao nascer e monitorar e controlar o ganho ponderal subsequente são os primeiros passos para a prevenção primária da obesidade infantil.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Study flow chart.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Conditional weight gain, according to birth weight.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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