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Infancy Weight Gain Predicts Childhood Body Fat and Age at Menarche in Girls

Medical Research Council (MRC) Epidemiology Unit (K.K.O.), Cambridge CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom; Department of Paediatrics (K.K.O., D.B.D.), University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom; Department of Community Based Medicine (P.E., J.G., I.R.), University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 2BN, United Kingdom; Department of Social Medicine (K.N., A.R.N.), University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 2BN, United Kingdom; Department of Oral and Dental Science (A.R.N.), University of Bristol, Bristol BS1 2LY, United Kingdom; and MRC Childhood Nutrition Research Centre (J.C.W.), Institute of Child Health, London WC1N 1EH, United Kingdom

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Dr. Ken Ong, Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit, Institute of Metabolic Science, Addenbrooke’s Hospital Box 285, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom. E-mail: ken.ong{at}mrc-epid.cam.ac.uk.

Context: Rapid postnatal weight gain has been associated with subsequent increased childhood adiposity. However, the contribution of rapid weight gain during specific infancy periods is not clear.

Objective: We aimed to determine which periods of infancy weight gain are related to childhood adiposity and also to age at menarche in UK girls.

Design, Setting, and Participants: A total of 2715 girls from a prospective UK birth cohort study participated in the study.

Main Outcome Measures: Routinely measured weights and lengths at ages 2, 9, and 19 months were extracted from the local child health computer database. Body composition was assessed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry at age 10 yr, and age at menarche was assessed by questionnaire (categorized into three groups: <12.0, 12.0–13.0, and >13.0 yr).

Results: Faster early infancy weight gain between 0 and 2 months and also 2 to 9 months were associated with increased body fat mass relative to lean mass at age 10 yr and also with earlier age at menarche. Each +1 unit gain in weight SD score between 0 and 9 months was associated with an odds ratio (95% confidence interval) = 1.48 (1.27–1.60) for overweight (body mass index > 85th centile) at 10 yr, and 1.34 (1.21–1.49) for menarche at less than 12 yr. In contrast, subsequent weight gain between 9 and 19 months was not associated with later adiposity or age at menarche.

Conclusions: In developed settings, rapid weight gain during the first 9 months of life is a risk factor for both increased childhood adiposity and early menarche in girls.

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