Research
Hormonal
Rapid postnatal catch-up growth in children born with low birth weight or intrauterine growth restriction significantly increases the risk of adult obesity, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome.
For parents of small babies, aim for steady, healthy growth rather than rapid weight gain. Monitor growth charts and consult pediatricians to ensure catch-up growth is gradual, as rapid acceleration in infancy is linked to higher risks of obesity and insulin resistance later in life.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
children who were born small with subsequent rapid growth had a greater risk for insulin resistance compared to children born larger or with a moderate rate of post-natal growth.
Why this rating
Supported by multiple cohort studies (Hertfordshire, Project Viva, South African Bt20) showing consistent trends.
Source
Developmental origins of metabolic diseases
Daniël J. Hoffman et al. · Physiological Reviews · 2020
DOI 10.1152/physrev.00002.2020
narrative_reviewCited 427×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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