Growth in Total Height and Its Components and Cardiometabolic Health in Childhood

Birth conditions nutritional status in childhood associated with cardiometabolic risk factors at 30 years of age: a cohort study

This study aimed to assess the association of birth conditions, nutritional status, and childhood growth with cardiometabolic risk factors at 30 years of age. We also evaluated whether body mass index (BMI) at 30 years mediated the association of weight gain in childhood with cardiometabolic risk factors. This is a prospective cohort study that included all live births in 1982 in hospitals in the city of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, whose families lived in the urban area. Mothers were interviewed at birth, and participants were followed at different ages. For our analyses, we used data on weight and height collected at birth, 2 and 4 years and cardiovascular risk factors at 30 years. Multiple linear regressions were performed to obtain adjusted coefficients and G-formula for mediation analysis. Relative weight gain in childhood, despite the age, was positively related to mean arterial pressure, whereas relative weight gain in late childhood was positively associated with carotid intima-media thickness, pulse wave velocity, triglycerides, non-HDL cholesterol, plasma glucose, and C-reactive protein. BMI in adulthood captured the total effect of relative weight gain in the period between 2 and 4 years on carotid intima-media thickness, triglycerides, non-HDL cholesterol, and C-reactive protein. Our findings reinforce the evidence that rapid relative weight gain after 2 years of age may have long-term consequences on the risk of metabolic and cardiovascular disorders.

Exposure to obesogenic endocrine disrupting chemicals and obesity among youth of Latino or Hispanic origin in the United States and Latin America: A lifecourse perspective

Following a 2019 workshop led by the Center for Global Health Studies at the Fogarty International Center on the topic of childhood obesity prevention and research synergies transpiring from cross-border collaborations, we convened a group of experts in the United States and Latin America to conduct a narrative review of the epidemiological literature on the role of obesogenic endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in the etiology of childhood obesity among Latino youth in the United States and Latin America. In addition to summarizing and synthesizing results from research on this topic published within the last decade, we place the findings within a lifecourse biobehavioral framework to aid in identification of unique exposure-outcome relationships driven by both biological and behavioral research, identify inconsistencies and deficiencies in current literature, and discuss the role of policy regulations, all with the goal of identifying viable avenues for prevention of early life obesity in Latino/Hispanic populations.

The Longitudinal Relation of Childhood Height to Subsequent Obesity in a Large Electronic Health Record Database

OBJECTIVE

Several cross-sectional studies have shown that height in childhood is correlated with BMI and with body fatness, and two longitudinal studies have reported that childhood height is associated with adult BMI. This study explored this longitudinal association in an electronic health record database of 2.8 million children.

METHODS

Children were initially examined between the ages of 2 and 13.9 years and, on average, were reexamined 4 years later.

RESULTS

As expected, there was a cross-sectional correlation between height-for-age z score and BMI that increased from r = -0.06 (age of 2 years) to r = 0.37 (age of 9-10 years). In addition, height-for-age at the first visit was related to subsequent BMI and obesity, with the prevalence of subsequent obesity increasing about fourfold over six categories of height-for-age at the first visit. About 40% of this longitudinal association was independent of initial BMI, but its magnitude decreased with initial age. For example, the initial height-for-age of children who were 12 years of age or older was only weakly associated with subsequent BMI.

CONCLUSIONS

Health professionals should recognize that greater childhood height-for-age before 12 years of age may be a marker for increased risk of subsequent obesity.

Longitudinal associations between body composition and regional fat distribution and later attained height at school entry among preschool children predisposed to overweight

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

To investigate the associations between indicators of obesity and fat distribution, such as body mass index (BMI), fat mass, and skinfold measures during preschool age, and attained height at school entry.

SUBJECTS/METHODS

The Healthy Start primary intervention study comprised 1100 obesity-prone preschool children from the greater Copenhagen area, with a mean [standard deviation (SD)] age of 4.0 (1.1) years at baseline. Anthropometry was measured by trained health professionals at baseline (preschool age) and follow-up height at school entry was gathered by school nurses. Prospective associations between body fat measures and later attained height were examined using generalized linear models with adjustments for potential confounders.

RESULTS

Greater adiposity at preschool age was directly associated with a higher attained height at follow-up at school-age, when adjusting for confounders. A baseline difference of one BMI unit was associated with a greater attained height of 0.8 cm [(95% confidence interval (CI) 0.5; 1.2]. Furthermore, a difference of 1 mm in the sum of four skinfolds measured at baseline was associated with a greater attained height of 0.1 cm (95% CI 0.03; 0.2) at follow-up. Children with overweight or obesity at baseline attained a significantly higher height of 2.9 (95% CI 1.6; 4.1) cm at follow-up after full adjustment than normal weight children.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results supports that greater adiposity at preschool age is associated with greater tallness. Although a greater height is assumed to be desirable, accelerated growth in childhood may in itself be a risk factor for obesity later in life.

Patterns of body mass index milestones in early life and cardiometabolic risk in early adolescence

BACKGROUND

Few studies have examined the independent and combined relationships of body mass index (BMI) peak and rebound with adiposity, insulin resistance and metabolic risk later in life. We used data from Project Viva, a well-characterized birth cohort from Boston with repeated measures of BMI, to help fill this gap.

METHODS

Among 1681 children with BMI data from birth to mid childhood, we fitted individual BMI trajectories using mixed-effects models with natural cubic splines and estimated age, and magnitude of BMI, at peak (in infancy) and rebound (in early childhood). We obtained cardiometabolic measures of the children in early adolescence (median 12.9 years) and analysed their associations with the BMI parameters.

RESULTS

After adjusting for potential confounders, age and magnitude at infancy BMI peak were associated with greater adolescent adiposity, and earlier adiposity rebound was strongly associated with greater adiposity, insulin resistance and metabolic risk score independently of BMI peak. Children with a normal timing of BMI peak plus early rebound had an adverse cardiometabolic profile, characterized by higher fat mass index {β 2.2 kg/m2 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.6, 2.9]}, trunk fat mass index [1.1 kg/m2 (0.8, 1.5)], insulin resistance [0.2 units (0.04, 0.4)] and metabolic risk score [0.4 units (0.2, 0.5)] compared with children with a normal BMI peak and a normal rebound pattern. Children without a BMI peak (no decline in BMI after the rise in infancy) also had adverse adolescent metabolic profiles.

CONCLUSIONS

Early age at BMI rebound is a strong risk factor for cardiometabolic risk, independent of BMI peak. Children with a normal peak-early rebound pattern, or without any BMI decline following infancy, are at greatest risk of adverse cardiometabolic profile in adolescence. Routine monitoring of BMI may help to identify children who are at greatest risk of developing an adverse cardiometabolic profile in later life and who may be targeted for preventive interventions.

Leptin trajectories from birth to mid-childhood and cardio-metabolic health in early adolescence

OBJECTIVES

Leptin is a hormone produced by adipose tissue that promotes satiety, and some evidence suggests that greater early life leptin exposure prevents excessive adiposity gain in later life. However, few studies have analyzed dynamic changes in leptin throughout childhood in relation to later cardio-metabolic health. Our study aims to identify distinct leptin trajectories in childhood, and to examine their associations with cardio-metabolic outcomes in adolescence.

METHODS

Among children in the Project Viva cohort born 1999-2002 in Massachusetts, we used latent class growth models to identify leptin trajectories independent of maternal BMI, child sex, race/ethnicity, size at birth and current age and size among 1360 children with leptin measured at least once at birth, early childhood (mean 3.3 ± SD 0.3 years), or mid-childhood (7.9 ± 0.8 years). At research visits in early adolescence (13.2 ± 0.9 years), we assessed cardio-metabolic outcomes including adiposity measures, fasting biomarkers, and blood pressure among 855 children. We then applied multiple regression models to examine associations of the leptin trajectories with these cardio-metabolic outcomes in early adolescence, adjusting for child age at outcome, maternal age, education, prenatal smoking and glucose, total gestational weight gain and paternal BMI.

RESULTS

The latent class growth model identified 3 distinct leptin trajectories: "low stable" (n = 1031, 75.8%), "high-decreasing" (n = 219, 16.1%) and "intermediate-increasing" (n = 110, 8.1%). In adjusted models, the intermediate-increasing leptin trajectory was associated with higher early adolescence adiposity measures (e.g. BMI z-score: 0.62 units; 95% confidence interval: 0.28, 0.96 and odds of obesity: 2.84: 1.17, 6.94), but lower systolic blood pressure (-0.46 z-score units; -0.74, -0.18), compared to the low-stable group.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings on leptin trajectories in childhood suggest important differences and associations with later metabolic outcomes.

DNA methylation in blood as a mediator of the association of mid-childhood body mass index with cardio-metabolic risk score in early adolescence

Obesity is associated with higher cardio-metabolic risk even in childhood and adolescence; whether this association is mediated by epigenetic mechanisms remains unclear. We examined the extent to which mid-childhood body mass index (BMI) z-score (median age 7.7 years) was associated with cardio-metabolic risk score in early adolescence (median age 12.9 years) via mid-childhood DNA methylation among 265 children in the Project Viva. We measured DNA methylation in leukocytes using the Infinium Human Methylation450K BeadChip. We assessed mediation CpG-by-CpG using epigenome-wide association analyses, high-dimensional mediation analysis, and natural effect models. We observed mediation by mid-childhood DNA methylation at 6 CpGs for the association between mid-childhood BMI z-score and cardio-metabolic risk score in early adolescence in the high-dimensional mediation analysis (accounting for 10% of the total effect) and in the natural effect model (β = 0.04, P = 3.2e-2, accounting for 13% of the total effect). The natural direct effect of BMI z-score on cardio-metabolic risk score was still evident (β = 0.27, P = 1.1e-25). We also observed mediation by mid-childhood DNA methylation at 5 CpGs that was in the opposite direction from the total effect (natural effect model: β = -0.04, P = 2.0e-2). Mediation in different directions implies a complex role of DNA methylation in the association between BMI and cardio-metabolic risk and needs further investigation. Future studies with larger sample size and greater variability in cardio-metabolic risk will further help elucidate the role of DNA methylation for cardio-metabolic risk.

Association of Weight for Length vs Body Mass Index During the First 2 Years of Life With Cardiometabolic Risk in Early Adolescence

Importance

The American Academy of Pediatrics currently recommends weight for length (WFL) for assessment of weight status in children younger than 2 years but body mass index (BMI) for children older than 2 years. However, the clinical implications of using WFL vs BMI in children younger than 2 years as an indicator of future health outcomes remains understudied.

Objective

To compare associations of overweight based on WFL vs BMI in children younger than 2 years with cardiometabolic outcomes during early adolescence.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This prospective study of birth cohorts in the United States (Project Viva) and Belarus (Promotion of Breastfeeding Intervention Trial [PROBIT]) performed from June 1, 1996, to November 31, 2002, included 13 666 children younger than 2 years.

Main Exposures

Overweight defined as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) WFL in the 95th percentile or greater, World Health Organization (WHO) WFL in the 97.7th percentile or greater, or WHO BMI in the 97.7th percentile or greater at 6, 12, 18, or 24 months of age.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Primary outcomes were fat mass index, insulin resistance, metabolic risk score, and obesity during early adolescence. Secondary outcomes were height and BMI z scores, sum of skinfolds, waist circumference, and systolic blood pressure during early adolescence.

Results

The study included 919 children (mean [SD] age, 12.9 [0.9] years; 460 [50.1%] male; and 598 [65.1%] white) from Project Viva and 12 747 children (mean [SD] age, 11.5 [0.5] years; 6204 [48.7%] male; and 12 747 [100%] white) from PROBIT. During 6 to 24 months of age, in Project Viva, 206 children (22.4%) were overweight at any of the 4 times points according to the CDC WFL, 160 (17.4%) according to WHO WFL, and 161 (17.5%) according to WHO BMI cut points. In PROBIT, 3715 children (29.1%) were overweight at any of the 4 time points according to the CDC WFL, 3069 (24.1%) according to WHO WFL, and 3125 (24.5%) according to WHO BMI cut points. After maternal and child characteristics were adjusted for, being ever overweight (vs never overweight) during 6 to 24 months of age was associated with higher likelihood of adverse cardiometabolic risk markers during early adolescence, but associations did not differ substantially across WFL and BMI cut points in either cohort. For example, for fat mass index in Project Viva, β = 0.9 (95% CI, 0.5-1.4) for the CDC WFL, β = 1.1 (95% CI, 0.6-1.6) for WHO WFL, and β = 1.4 (95% CI, 0.9-1.9) for WHO BMI. For PROBIT, β = 0.5 (95% CI, 0.4-0.6) for the CDC WFL, β = 0.6 (95% CI, 0.5-0.7) for WHO WFL, and β = 0.6 (95% CI, 0.5-0.6) for WHO BMI. Neither growth metric in infancy was superior over the others based on F statistics (Project Viva: 17.1-17.8; PROBIT: 87.1-88.7). Findings were similar for insulin resistance, metabolic risk score, obesity, and secondary outcomes.

Conclusions and Relevance

Choice of WFL vs BMI to define overweight during the first 2 years of life may not greatly affect the association with cardiometabolic outcomes during early adolescence. The findings appear to have important implications for investigators seeking to use BMI as a growth metric for epidemiologic research and for practitioners monitoring the weight status of children younger than 2 years.

Long-Term Outcomes of Hyperglycemic Preterm Infants Randomized to Tight Glycemic Control

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether tight glycemic control of neonatal hyperglycemia changes neurodevelopment, growth, and metabolism at school age.

STUDY DESIGN

Children born very low birth weight and randomized as hyperglycemic neonates to a trial of tight vs standard glycemic control were assessed at 7 years corrected age, including Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children Fourth Edition, Movement Assessment Battery for Children 2, visual and neurologic examinations, growth measures, dual X-ray absorptiometry, and frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test. The primary outcome was survival without neurodevelopmental impairment at age 7 years. Outcomes were compared using linear regression, adjusted for sex, small for gestational age, birth plurality, and the clustering of twins. Data are reported as number (%) or mean (SD).

RESULTS

Of the 88 infants randomized, 11 (13%) had died and 57 (74% of eligible children) were assessed at corrected age 7 years. Survival without neurodevelopmental impairment occurred in 25 of 68 children (37%), with no significant difference between tight (14 of 35; 40%) and standard (11 of 33; 33%) glycemic control groups (P = .60). Children in the tight group were shorter than those in the standard group (121.3 [6.3] cm vs 125.1 [5.4] cm; P < .05), but had similar weight and head circumference. Children in the tight group had greater height-adjusted lean mass (18.7 [0.3] vs 17.6 [0.2] kg; P < .01) and lower fasting glucose concentrations (84.6 [6.30] vs 90.0 [5.6] mg⋅dL^-1; P < .05), but no other differences in measures of body composition or insulin-glucose metabolism.

CONCLUSION

Tight glycemic control for neonatal hyperglycemia does not change survival without neurodevelopmental impairment, but reduces height, increases height-adjusted lean mass, and reduces fasting blood glucose concentrations at school age.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ACTRN: 12606000270516.

Growth across life course and cardiovascular risk markers in 18-year-old adolescents: the 1993 Pelotas birth cohort

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association between growth trajectories from birth to adolescence and cardiovascular risk marker levels at age 18 years in a population-based cohort. In order to disentangle the effect of weight gain from that of height gain, growth was analysed using conditional weight relative to linear growth (CWh) and conditional length/height (CH).

DESIGN

Prospective study.

SETTING

1993 Pelotas birth cohort, Southern Brazil.

PARTICIPANTS

Individuals who have been followed up from birth to adolescence (at birth, 1, 4, 11, 15 and 18 years).

PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES

C-reactive protein (CRP), total cholesterol (TC), LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TGL), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP), body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC).

RESULTS

In both sexes, greater CWh at 1 year was positively associated with BMI and WC, whereas greater CWh at most age periods in childhood and adolescence predicted higher CRP, TC, LDL-C, TGL, SBP, DBP, BMI and WC levels, as well as lower HDL-C level. Higher CH during infancy and childhood was positively related with SBP in boys and girls, and with BMI and WC only in boys.

CONCLUSION

Our study shows that rapid weight gain from 1 year onwards is positively associated with several markers of cardiovascular risk at 18 years. Overall, our results for the first year of life add evidence to the 'first 1000 days initiative' suggesting that prevention of excessive weight gain in childhood might be important in reducing subsequent cardiovascular risk.