Low birth weight leads to long-term obesity

It may seem contradictory, but children who are stunted are more likely to have a high BMI later in life.

Children who are stunted have an increased risk of developing a metabolic disorder. To be honest, it's a bit counterintuitive. A newborn who weighs less than others is not expected to be at increased risk of obesity later on. This does not mean that a premature, low-weight baby later develops an increased risk of diabetes or coronary artery disease. Although, “ It has been shown that the lower the birth weight, the greater the likelihood of a higher body mass index later and the greater the risk of developing obesity, type 2 diabetes. 2 The incidence of coronary heart disease increases “, P explains.^s Jean-Charles Picaud, Pediatrician in Neonatology at Croix-Rousse Hospital (Lyon University Hospital).

In 2019, a meta-analysis of 43 studies was performed Published in tea Pediatrics Journal Shown an increased risk of metabolic syndrome in premature infants. In a group of very premature infants born in 1997 who had frequent postnatal growth deficiencies, a study was conducted in Nantes.

This article is intended for subscribers. You have 80% left to discover.