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Important determinants of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus in adulthood are increased in infants who gain weight rapidly early in life, a new study has shown. Increased weight gain relative to height in early infancy is associated with reduced insulin sensitivity and serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol levels, as well as increased waist circumference and serum  triglyceride levels, report investigators.
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"Rapid weight gain in the first three months of life is more detrimental than slow weight gain. More studies are required to investigate which factors determine rapid weight gain in early infancy, because those results might lead to interventions that could decrease the risk for development of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes later in life."
-Dr. Ralph Leunissen
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The data on birth weight and growth early in life is mixed. Some studies have shown that low birth weight is associated with cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes later in life, while others suggested that rapid growth patterns in infancy and childhood were an important determinant of risk later in life. Other data have shown that poor growth early in life, followed by catch-up growth after age two, is related to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease later in life.
The group said that the reasons for the increased cardiovascular risk are unknown, but that nutrient-enriched diets that contribute toe rapid weight gain might have adverse affects of cardiovascular risk factors later in life. Formula-fed infants, for example, grow at a faster rate than breast-fed infants but are more likely to be overweight later in life. Their study, however, is limited, in that there are no nutritional data available. Future studies need to confirm these findings and to determine which factors determine weight gain, as well as to investigate associations with parental factors, such as genetics and maternal health during pregnancy
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Important Findings...
- Weight gain in the first 3 months of life is linked with reduced insulin sensitivity and serum HDL level and greater waist circumference, acute insulin response, ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol level, and triglyceride level in early adulthood.
- Rapid weight gain in the first 3 months of life is linked with greater body fat percentage and central adiposity and reduced insulin sensitivity in early adulthood
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