Early Growth Patterns and Childhood Obesity

Early growth trajectories encompass a range of patterns in prenatal, infancy and early childhood development that influence later adiposity and metabolic health. Both low and high birth weights can predispose to divergent risks, while rapid postnatal weight gain—often defined as crossing upward through centile bands—has emerged as a consistent predictor of childhood overweight and obesity. Growth velocity, timing of peak weight gain and relative weight gain compared with linear growth each contribute to the developmental origins of health and disease, with the first 1,000 days representing a critical window for intervention. Nutritional exposures in utero, infant feeding practices (breastfeeding versus formula feeding), timing of complementary feeding and socio-environmental determinants shape an individual’s growth tempo and size. Globally, rising rates of childhood obesity underscore the need for growth monitoring approaches that balance optimal linear growth with avoidance of excessive adiposity. Practical applications include refined growth charts, targeted counselling on infant feeding and early-life preventive strategies aimed at maintaining growth within an optimal range to reduce long-term cardiometabolic risk.

Research from Nature Portfolio

A foundational cohort study examined weight gain trajectories from birth to two years across the full spectrum of gestational age and linked these to obesity risk at age seven. Children classified with extremely rapid weight gain during infancy exhibited markedly higher odds of overweight or obesity by mid-childhood, with the greatest susceptibility among those born early term or late preterm. Findings highlight the importance of gestational-age-specific growth monitoring and suggest that ensuring moderate, on-track weight gain from birth can serve as an early preventive measure against later obesity.

Early Growth Patterns and Childhood Obesity publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in early growth patterns and childhood obesity across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Adiposity: The accumulation and distribution of body fat, often quantified by measurements such as body mass index or fat-mass index.

Gestational age: The duration of pregnancy measured in completed weeks from conception to birth, influencing neonatal growth expectations.

Z-score (standard deviation score): A statistical measure expressing how many standard deviations an observation lies above or below the population mean, used to compare individual growth metrics with reference standards.

Weight-for-length (WFL): A ratio of body weight to length in infants, utilised to assess relative weight status before age two.

Growth velocity: The rate of change in size (weight or length) over time, indicating the tempo of growth rather than static measures.

References

1. Rapid Growth between 0 and 2 Years Old in Healthy Infants Born at Term and Its Relationship with Later Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Evidence. Nutrients (2024).
2. Weight Gain in Infancy and Overweight or Obesity in Childhood across the Gestational Spectrum: a Prospective Birth Cohort Study. Scientific Reports (2016).