Hormonal
Rapid postnatal weight gain (catch-up growth) in infants born small for gestational age (SGA) or growth-restrained in utero significantly increases the risk of central fat deposition, insulin resistance, and adult obesity.
If your baby was born small for their gestational age, be mindful of rapid weight gain in the first two years. While catching up in height is good, excessive weight gain can lead to higher body fat and insulin resistance later in life. Focus on healthy feeding practices, such as breastfeeding and introducing solids at 6 months, rather than forcing high caloric intake.
infants who have been growth restrained in utero tend to gain weight more rapidly, or ‘catch up’, during the early postnatal period, which leads to increased central fat deposition.
Why this rating
Supported by multiple epidemiological studies, systematic reviews, and animal models, though human mechanistic data is less definitive than animal data.
Source
Size at Birth, Postnatal Growth and Risk of Obesity
Kenneth Ong · Hormone Research in Paediatrics · 2006
DOI 10.1159/000091508
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- Maternal obesity and gestational diabetes significantly increase the risk of offspring obesity and type 2 diabetes, primarily through excess fetal adiposity and subsequent postnatal catch-up growth.Good
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