Rapid weight gain in babies and preschoolers may be a sign full of portent – it has been, for instance, linked to a greater risk of high blood pressure later during childhood.
Authors of a new study also tied it to a higher risk for health issues in young adulthood, including high blood sugar and high cholesterol.
The findings were published in the journal Hypertension.
Tracking weight and height changes in 957 babies up to age 4, the researchers discovered that kids who gained excess weight for their height – as shown by their body mass index (BMI) or a measure of body fat based on weight and height – had the tendency to maintain higher blood pressure than other kids when they reach ages 6 to 10.
For instance, those who had significantly large BMI surges before turning 6 months or from ages 2 to 3 exhibited higher systolic blood pressure during mid-childhood. According to the authors, the scope of the systolic blood pressure increase was greater for preschoolers than babies.
Every added increment of BMI gained during infancy or preschool age, too, was associated with a hike of around 1 to 1.5 mmHg (millimeters of mercury) in systolic blood pressure.
Senior study author Dr. Mandy Belfort of Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital cited previous research that pointed out the important role of rapid weight gain in babies in later determining their blood pressure levels.
“[T]he current study adds to emerging data that weight gain during the preschool years is at least as important as infancy weight gain in relation to blood pressure,” said Dr. Belfort.
The author added, however, that those who pack on pounds steadily didn’t seem to be a challenge for childhood blood pressure levels, and instead the problem may be tied to sudden weight surges that don’t match with height increases.
In the study, children were about age 8 on average during mid-childhood check, with 94.4 mmHg as average systolic blood pressure and 54.3 mmHg as average diastolic blood pressure. This is deemed within a generally healthy range for 8-year-olds.
Generally, kids whose blood pressure is higher than 95 percent of their peers with the same age, gender, and height can be diagnosed with hypertension. Since their blood pressures differ widely due to various factors, no set range for normal or high blood pressure exists.
The authors noted, though, that birth size did not seem to influence their study’s results.
The results appeared to support breastfeeding until babies are 6 months old, as it has been associated with less weight gain than when babies are fed formula milk, according to Deakin University diet and nutrition expert Caryl Nowson, who also warned against giving soda and sweetened beverages to kids as they transition to solid food.
Photo: Tony Alter | Flickr
