13 June, 2013

Obesity can be predicted in 2-month old infants

Researchers have found that infants as young as two months old already exhibit growth patterns that can predict the child's weight by age 5.

"Almost from birth, we quickly saw this growth pattern emerge in our curves and growth charts for weight over height," Susan Ludington, the study's lead investigator and the Carl W. and Margaret David Walter Professor of Pediatric Nursing at Case Western Reserve University, said.

Analyzing well-child records, normal-weight babies with a body-mass index (BMI) in the 17 percentile were found to have plateaued at about two months and rarely deviated over the next five years, she said.

Overweight or obese babies crossed the 17 per centile many months later (about age 14 months) and continued an upward climb when BMI growth patterns were monitored.

The researchers found that, by age 5, normal-weight children developed differently from birth than those considered overweight, obese or severely obese.

The researchers suspect, based on prior research findings by others, how a mother ate during pregnancy might have contributed to a baby's hormones and the ability to satisfy a baby's hunger.

By graphing, a pattern emerged that found both girls and boys known to be obese at 5 begin to show significantly higher weight over height than normal weight babies as early as 2-4 months of age.

Because such patterns emerge before children generally start eating solid food, early life growth patterns may provide important information about a person's future health issues, Ludington said.

The researchers also questioned using the BMI index as a guide to growth, which is based on European babies primarily breast-fed in the first year. In the United States, many babies have only formula feedings.

These findings could potentially change the age at which obesity is typically diagnosed, which is now at or after age two.

The findings are published in the journal Clinical Pediatrics.

Source: www.timesofindia.com

13.06.2013

Obesity ups risk of preterm delivery

Women who are overweight or obese are more likely to have preterm delivery, according to a new Swedish study.

Those with the highest Body Mass Index (BMI) also had the highest statistical risk of giving preterm birth - and especially extremely preterm birth.

"For the individual woman who is overweight or obese, the risk of an extremely preterm delivery is still small. However, these finding are important from a population perspective. Preterm infants and, above all, extremely preterm infants account for a substantial fraction of infant mortalityand morbidity in high income countries," said Dr. Sven Cnattingius, Professor at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, who led the study.

In the study, Dr. Cnattingius and colleagues at Karolinska Institutet and the University of Michigan, U.S., used information from 1.5 million singleton deliveries included in the population-based Swedish Medical Birth Register from 1992 through 2010.

Compared to women of normal weight, overweight women had a 25 percent increased risk of extremely preterm delivery. Women with mildobesity had a 60 percent increased risk of giving birth extremely preterm. For women with severe obesity (BMI 35-39.9) or extreme obesity (BMI 40 or more) the corresponding risk was doubled and tripled, respectively.

Risks of very and moderately preterm deliveries also increased with BMI.

Overweight and obesity also increase the risk of maternal pregnancy complications, including preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and Cesarean delivery, said Dr. Cnattingius.

Infection and inflammation are considered main risk factors for spontaneous extremely preterm delivery with a spontaneous onset, and maternal obesity is associated with increased production of inflammatory proteins. The researchers hypothesize that the increased inflammatory state in obese women may make them more susceptible to infections, which may increase their risk of spontaneous extremely preterm delivery.

The study published in Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Source: www.timesofindia.com

13.06.2013

We must accept finite disappointment, but never loose infinite hope

Martin Luther