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. 2016 Jul 15;6:29867. doi: 10.1038/srep29867

Table 3. The association between weight gain in the first 4 months and BMI z-score and overweight or obesity at age 2–4 years and 5–7 years.

Weight gain category N BMI z-score
Overweight or obesity
mean ± SD β(95%CI) Case, No. (%) OR(95%CI)
Age 2–4 years
 On track 706 0.51 ± 1.33 ref 237(33.6) 1.0
 Slow growth 412 0.36 ± 1.38 −0.35(−0.50, −0.20)§ 128(31.1) 0.7(0.5, 0.9)
 Rapid growth 294 0.69 ± 1.26 0.43(0.26, 0.61)§ 112(38.1) 1.8(1.3, 2.4)§
 Extremely rapid 516 0.86 ± 1.34 0.76(0.60, 0.92)§ 239(46.3) 3.3(2.5, 4.4)§
 Weight gain z-score     0.32(0.28, 0.37)§   1.6(1.5, 1.8)§
Age 5–7 years
 On track 468 0.68 ± 1.20 ref 199(42.5) 1.0
 Slow growth 283 0.60 ± 1.26 −0.20(−0.37, −0.04) 102(36.0) 0.6(0.4, 0.9)
 Rapid growth 192 0.94 ± 1.11 0.46(0.27, 0.65)§ 91(47.4) 1.7(1.2, 2.4)
 Extremely rapid 336 1.05 ± 1.18 0.62(0.44, 0.79)§ 171(50.9) 2.1(1.5, 3.0)§
 Weight gain z-score     0.24(0.19, 0.29)§   1.5(1.3, 1.6)§

Gestational age category was defined as full term (gestational age ≥39 weeks), early term (37–38 weeks), late preterm (34–36 weeks), and early preterm (<34 weeks). Weight gain z-score was defined as the change in weight for age z–score between birth and 4 months and was categorized into four groups: slow (weight gain z-score less than −0.67); on track (weight gain z-score between −0.67 and 0.67), rapid (weight gain z-score between 0.67 and 1.28), and extremely rapid (weight gain z-score more than 1.28).

Adjusted for maternal education, race, smoking, parity, prepregnancy BMI category, hypertensive disorders, diabetes, fetal growth status, gestational age categories, and breastfeeding status.

P < 0.05; P < 0.01; §P < 0.001.