Doris Duke Charitable Foundation-Supported Study Finds Babies Born Big More Likely to Become Obese Children
Infants born with a high birthweight are more likely to become obese as children, a new study from the University of Virginia Children's Hospital suggests. The researchers say pediatricians may want to counsel parents of high birthweight babies early on to prevent the onset of obesity and the health problems it eventually brings.
The study looked at 10,186 children across the country, both those born at term and those born prematurely. The children born with high birthweight at term were more likely to be obese by kindergarten than their average-weight counterparts. A similar finding held true in the children born prematurely, starting in first grade.
“Infants born with higher birthweight appeared to be at risk from a young age,” researcher Sarah Miller said. “These children may benefit from early attention....”