REVIEW ARTICLE
A systematic review indicates an association between birth weight and body fat in childhood
Dimitrios Rallis,
Foteini Balomenou,
Meropi Tzoufi,
Vasileios Giapros,
Corresponding Author
Dimitrios Rallis
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, University of Ioannina, School of Medicine, Ioannina, Greece
Correspondence
Dimitrios Rallis, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, University of Ioannina, School of Medicine, Stavrou Niarchou Avenue, Ioannina 45500, Greece.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorFoteini Balomenou
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, University of Ioannina, School of Medicine, Ioannina, Greece
Search for more papers by this authorMeropi Tzoufi
Department of Paediatrics, University of Ioannina, School of Medicine, Ioannina, Greece
Search for more papers by this authorVasileios Giapros
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, University of Ioannina, School of Medicine, Ioannina, Greece
Search for more papers by this authorDimitrios Rallis,
Foteini Balomenou,
Meropi Tzoufi,
Vasileios Giapros,
Corresponding Author
Dimitrios Rallis
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, University of Ioannina, School of Medicine, Ioannina, Greece
Correspondence
Dimitrios Rallis, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, University of Ioannina, School of Medicine, Stavrou Niarchou Avenue, Ioannina 45500, Greece.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorFoteini Balomenou
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, University of Ioannina, School of Medicine, Ioannina, Greece
Search for more papers by this authorMeropi Tzoufi
Department of Paediatrics, University of Ioannina, School of Medicine, Ioannina, Greece
Search for more papers by this authorVasileios Giapros
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, University of Ioannina, School of Medicine, Ioannina, Greece
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Aim
To summarise the existing evidence regarding the body fat of small or large for gestation subjects, evaluated from birth up to 18 years of age.
Methods
The PRISMA guidelines were adopted for the current systematic review, including studies having evaluated body fat with bioelectrical impedance analysis, air displacement plethysmography, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry or magnetic resonance imaging.
Results
A total of 31 studies was included. The balance of evidence suggests that small for gestation infants have decreased fat mass at birth; postnatally they experience increased adiposity. In the long term, however, the evidence is inconclusive, since some studies suggest that foetal-restricted children with increased catch-up growth are at increased risk of fat accumulation, whereas other studies suggest a neutral or even negative association. Large for gestation infants have increased fat mass at birth, but in the long term, they have a lower body fat ratio, especially when they develop a catch-down growth.
Conclusion
Some studies suggested that foetal-restricted children with increased catch-up growth are at increased risk of later adiposity, while other studies suggested a neutral or negative association. Given that the evidence is inconclusive, further studies are warranted. Large for gestation subjects have lower body fat when they develop catch-down growth.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
None.
REFERENCES
- 1Ong KK. Size at birth, postnatal growth and risk of obesity. Horm Res. 2006; 65(Suppl 3): 65-69.
- 2Tu YK, West R, Ellison GT, Gilthorpe MS. Why evidence for the fetal origins of adult disease might be a statistical artifact: the “reversal paradox” for the relation between birth weight and blood pressure in later life. Am J Epidemiol. 2005; 161: 27-32.
- 3Figueras F, Figueras J, Meler E, et al. Customised birthweight standards accurately predict perinatal morbidity. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2007; 92: F277-F280.
- 4Saenger P, Czernichow P, Hughes I, Reiter EO. Small for gestational age: short stature and beyond. Endocr Rev. 2007; 28: 219-251.
- 5Andrews ET, Beattie RM, Johnson MJ. Measuring body composition in the preterm infant: evidence base and practicalities. Clin Nutr. 2019; 38: 2521-2530.
- 6Chiavaroli V, Derraik JG, Hofman PL, Cutfield WS. Born large for gestational age: bigger is not always better. J Pediatr. 2016; 170: 307-311.
- 7Demerath EW, Fields DA. Body composition assessment in the infant. Am J Hum Biol. 2014; 26: 291-304.
- 8Druet C, Ong KK. Early childhood predictors of adult body composition. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2008; 22: 489-502.
- 9Gallo P, Cioffi L, Limauro R, et al. SGA children in pediatric primary care: what is the best choice, large or small? A 10-year prospective longitudinal study. Glob Pediatr Health. 2016; 3:2333794X16659993.
- 10Clayton PE, Cianfarani S, Czernichow P, Johannsson G, Rapaport R, Rogol A. Management of the child born small for gestational age through to adulthood: a consensus statement of the international societies of pediatric endocrinology and the growth hormone research society. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007; 92: 804-810.
- 11Okada T, Takahashi S, Nagano N, Yoshikawa K, Usukura Y, Hosono S. Early postnatal alteration of body composition in preterm and small-for-gestational-age infants: implications of catch-up fat. Pediatr Res. 2015; 77: 136-142.
- 12Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J, Altman DG, Group P. Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement. PLoS Med. 2009; 6:e1000097.
- 13Wells G, Shea B, O'Connell D, et al. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) for Assessing the Quality of Nonrandomised Studies in Meta-Analyses. Ottawa, ON: Ottawa Hospital Research Institute; 2000.
- 14Biosca M, Rodriguez G, Ventura P, et al. Central adiposity in children born small and large for gestational age. Nutr Hosp. 2011; 26: 971-976.
- 15Bouhours-Nouet N, Dufresne S, de Casson FB, et al. High birth weight and early postnatal weight gain protect obese children and adolescents from truncal adiposity and insulin resistance: metabolically healthy but obese subjects? Diabetes Care. 2008; 31: 1031-1036.
- 16Brufani C, Fintini D, Giordano U, Tozzi AE, Barbetti F, Cappa M. Metabolic syndrome in Italian obese children and adolescents: stronger association with central fat depot than with insulin sensitivity and birth weight. Int J Hypertens. 2011; 2011:257168.
- 17Chan GM, Zhang H. Bone status and body fat of healthy newborn Caucasian infants. Basic Life Sci. 1993; 60: 161-164.
- 18Crume TL, Scherzinger A, Stamm E, et al. The long-term impact of intrauterine growth restriction in a diverse US cohort of children: the EPOCH study. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2014; 22: 608-615.
- 19Diaz M, Bassols J, Aragones G, Mazarico E, Lopez-Bermejo A, Ibanez L. Decreased placental expression of pre-adipocyte factor-1 in children born small-for-gestational-age: association to early postnatal weight gain. Placenta. 2013; 34: 331-334.
- 20Donnelley EL, Raynes-Greenow CH, Turner RM, Carberry AE, Jeffery HE. Antenatal predictors and body composition of large-for-gestational-age newborns: perinatal health outcomes. J Perinatol. 2014; 34: 698-704.
- 21Evensen E, Emaus N, Furberg AS, et al. Adolescent body composition and associations with body size and growth from birth to late adolescence. The Tromso study: fit futures-a Norwegian longitudinal cohort study. Pediatr Obes. 2019; 14:e12492.
- 22Gianni ML, Roggero P, Liotto N, et al. Body composition in late preterm infants according to percentile at birth. Pediatr Res. 2016; 79: 710-715.
- 23Gishti O, Gaillard R, Manniesing R, et al. Fetal and infant growth patterns associated with total and abdominal fat distribution in school-age children. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2014; 99: 2557-2566.
- 24Ibanez L, Lopez-Bermejo A, Diaz M, de Zegher F. Catch-up growth in girls born small for gestational age precedes childhood progression to high adiposity. Fertil Steril. 2011; 96: 220-223.
- 25Ibanez L, Ong K, Dunger DB, de Zegher F. Early development of adiposity and insulin resistance after catch-up weight gain in small-for-gestational-age children. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006; 91: 2153-2158.
- 26Kramer MS, Martin RM, Bogdanovich N, Vilchuk K, Dahhou M, Oken E. Is restricted fetal growth associated with later adiposity? Observational analysis of a randomized trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2014; 100: 176-181.
- 27Kruithof CJ, Gishti O, Hofman A, Gaillard R, Jaddoe VW. Infant weight growth velocity patterns and general and abdominal adiposity in school-age children the generation R study. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2016; 70: 1144-1150.
- 28Lapillonne A, Braillon P, Claris O, Chatelain PG, Delmas PD, Salle BL. Body composition in appropriate and in small for gestational age infants. Acta Paediatr. 1997; 86: 196-200.
- 29Larsson A, Ottosson P, Tornqvist C, Olhager E. Body composition and growth in full-term small for gestational age and large for gestational age Swedish infants assessed with air displacement plethysmography at birth and at 3–4 months of age. PLoS One. 2019; 14:e0207978.
- 30Lausten-Thomsen U, Nielsen TR, Thagaard IN, Larsen T, Holm JC. Neonatal anthropometrics and body composition in obese children investigated by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Eur J Pediatr. 2014; 173: 623-627.
- 31Law TL, Katikaneni LD, Taylor SN, et al. Customized versus population-based growth curves: prediction of low body fat percent at term corrected gestational age following preterm birth. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2012; 25: 1142-1147.
- 32Lindberg J, Norman M, Westrup B, Ohrman T, Domellof M, Berglund SK. Overweight, obesity, and body composition in 3.5 and 7-year-old Swedish children born with marginally low birth weight. J Pediatr. 2015; 167: 1246–1252 e3.
- 33Nordman H, Voutilainen R, Laitinen T, Antikainen L, Jaaskelainen J. Birth size, body composition, and adrenal androgens as determinants of bone mineral density in mid-childhood. Pediatr Res. 2018; 83: 993-998.
- 34Peralta-Carcelen M, Jackson DS, Goran MI, Royal SA, Mayo MS, Nelson KG. Growth of adolescents who were born at extremely low birth weight without major disability. J Pediatr. 2000; 136: 633-640.
- 35Roggero P, Gianni ML, Liotto N, et al. Rapid recovery of fat mass in small for gestational age preterm infants after term. PLoS One. 2011; 6:e14489.
- 36Schmelzle HR, Quang DN, Fusch G, Fusch C. Birth weight categorization according to gestational age does not reflect percentage body fat in term and preterm newborns. Eur J Pediatr. 2007; 166: 161-167.
- 37Sepulveda C, Urquidi C, Pittaluga E, et al. Differences in body composition and resting energy expenditure in childhood in preterm children born with very low birth weight. Horm Res Paediatr. 2013; 79: 347-355.
- 38Verkauskiene R, Beltrand J, Claris O, et al. Impact of fetal growth restriction on body composition and hormonal status at birth in infants of small and appropriate weight for gestational age. Eur J Endocrinol. 2007; 157: 605-612.
- 39Visuthranukul C, Abrams SA, Hawthorne KM, Hagan JL, Hair AB. Premature small for gestational age infants fed an exclusive human milk-based diet achieve catch-up growth without metabolic consequences at 2 years of age. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2019; 104: F242-F247.
- 40Vogelezang S, Santos S, Toemen L, Oei EHG, Felix JF, Jaddoe VWV. Associations of fetal and infant weight change with general, visceral, and organ adiposity at school age. JAMA Netw Open. 2019; 2:e192843.
- 41Darendeliler F, Bas F, Bundak R, et al. Insulin resistance and body composition in preterm born children during prepubertal ages. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2008; 68: 773-779.
- 42Hammami M, Walters JC, Hockman EM, Koo WW. Disproportionate alterations in body composition of large for gestational age neonates. J Pediatr. 2001; 138: 817-821.
- 43Ibanez L, Lopez-Bermejo A, Suarez L, Marcos MV, Diaz M, de Zegher F. Visceral adiposity without overweight in children born small for gestational age. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2008; 93: 2079-2083.
- 44Sancakli O, Darendeliler F, Bas F, et al. Insulin, adiponectin, IGFBP-1 levels and body composition in small for gestational age born non-obese children during prepubertal ages. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2008; 69: 88-92.
- 45Griffin IJ, Cooke RJ. Development of whole body adiposity in preterm infants. Early Hum Dev. 2012; 88(Suppl 1): S19-S24.
- 46Barker DJ, Gluckman PD, Godfrey KM, Harding JE, Owens JA, Robinson JS. Fetal nutrition and cardiovascular disease in adult life. Lancet. 1993; 341: 938-941.
- 47Lucas A, Fewtrell MS, Cole TJ. Fetal origins of adult disease-the hypothesis revisited. BMJ. 1999; 319: 245-249.
- 48Hales CN, Barker DJ. The thrifty phenotype hypothesis. Br Med Bull. 2001; 60: 5-20.
- 49Barker DJ, Osmond C, Forsen TJ, Kajantie E, Eriksson JG. Trajectories of growth among children who have coronary events as adults. N Engl J Med. 2005; 353: 1802-1809.
- 50Beltrand J, Nicolescu R, Kaguelidou F, et al. Catch-up growth following fetal growth restriction promotes rapid restoration of fat mass but without metabolic consequences at one year of age. PLoS One. 2009; 4:e5343.
- 51Ekelund U, Ong KK, Linne Y, et al. Association of weight gain in infancy and early childhood with metabolic risk in young adults. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007; 92: 98-103.
- 52Singhal A, Lucas A. Early origins of cardiovascular disease: is there a unifying hypothesis? Lancet. 2004; 363: 1642-1645.
- 53Druet C, Stettler N, Sharp S, et al. Prediction of childhood obesity by infancy weight gain: an individual-level meta-analysis. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 2012; 26: 19-26.
- 54Woo Baidal JA, Locks LM, Cheng ER, Blake-Lamb TL, Perkins ME, Taveras EM. Risk factors for childhood obesity in the first 1,000 days: a systematic review. Am J Prev Med. 2016; 50: 761-779.
- 55Gardosi J. New definition of small for gestational age based on fetal growth potential. Horm Res. 2006; 65(Suppl 3): 15-18.
- 56Davies DP. Size at birth and growth in the first year of life of babies who are overweight and underweight at birth. Proc Nutr Soc. 1980; 39: 25-33.
- 57Skilton MR, Siitonen N, Wurtz P, et al. High birth weight is associated with obesity and increased carotid wall thickness in young adults: the cardiovascular risk in young Finns study. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2014; 34: 1064-1068.
- 58Cho WK, Suh BK. Catch-up growth and catch-up fat in children born small for gestational age. Korean J Pediatr. 2016; 59: 1-7.
- 59Nordman H, Jaaskelainen J, Voutilainen R. Birth size as a determinant of cardiometabolic risk factors in children. Horm Res Paediatr. 2020; 93: 144-153.
- 60Schellong K, Schulz S, Harder T, Plagemann A. Birth weight and long-term overweight risk: systematic review and a meta-analysis including 643,902 persons from 66 studies and 26 countries globally. PLoS One. 2012; 7:e47776.
Citing Literature
