Risk factors in newborns for large waist to height ratio at 1, 2 and 3 year follow up

Objective: To establish if waist to height ratio at age 1, 2 or 3 years are dependent of prematurity, small for gestational age, large for gestational age or heritage for metabolic syndrome. Method: A population-based longitudinal birth cohort study with 2666 children recruited from 2007 to 2008 in south-western Sweden. At visits to the child health centre, parents were asked to complete a questionnaire. Measurements of weight, height, head and waist circumference were recorded using a standard procedure. Children were followed up at 1, 2 and 3 years of age. Risk factors were analyzed with multivariate logistic regression. Results: Prematurely born children had a significantly increased risk of larger waist to height ratio at 1 year of age (OR 1.80), but not at 2 or 3 years. Children born large for gestational age had a nearly significantly increased risk (OR 1.58) of a large waist to height ratio at the age of 3. Mothers body mass index (BMI) nearly significantly (p=0.064) increased the risk (OR 1.024 per step in BMI) of a large waist to height ratio at the age of 1. Conclusion: Both factors related to the child and to the mother predicted a larger waist to height ratio at follow up. In order to find children at risk for future overweight or obesity, it is important to take factors such as prematurity, size for gestational age and mother’s BMI into consideration