Rapid infant weight gain is associated with excess adiposity at 7-years of age in children from Aragon, Spain

ABSTRACT Background: Infants with rapid weight gain (RWG) during the 1st year are at increased risk of overweight. Objective: To examine its associations with body mass index z-score (BAz), fat mass index (FMI) and free fat mass index (FFMI) in 7 y-old Spanish children from the CALINA study. Methods: Dual X – Ray Absorptiometry scans and weight and height measurements were conducted. RWG was defined as a positive change in weight/age Z-score greater than 0.67 from birth to 6 months (0–6 m), 6 to 12 months (6–12m) and 0 to 12 months (0–12m). Adjusted linear regressions were performed. Results: A RWG from 0-6m, 6-12m and 0-12m was associated with BAz in children (B = 0.607, B = 0.522 and B = 0.649, p ≤ 0.001 in all cases), specifically in boys with RWG from 0-6 m (B = 0.734, p = 0.001) and in girls from 6 to 12 m (B = 0.678, p = 0.006). RWG predicted FMI in children with RWG from 6-12 m (B = 0.590, p = 0.008), being significative only in girls (B = 1.259, p = 0.001) and in children with RWG from 0-12 m (B = 0.493, p = 0.024), being significative only in boys (B = 0.593, p = 0.035). FFMI was higher in those with RWG from 0-6 m, 6-12 m and 0-12 m (B = 0.618, B = 0.468, B = 0.575 p < 0.001 in all cases), being significative in boys in all periods (B = 0.657, B = 0.411, B = 0.579, p < 0.021 in all cases) and in girls that developed RWG from 0-12 m (B = 0.380, p = 0.049) Conclusions: In a subsample from the CALINA Study, there are associations between RWG in the 1stY and BAz, FMI and FFMI at 7 years.