Rapid weight gain during infancy possible risk factor for later obesity in kids with autism
Childhood obesity is a
serious public health concern that can have a profound impact on children's
health and well-being. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are more
likely to have obesity compared to their peers with typical development, data
show. Until recently, little has been known about why children with ASD are at
increased risk for developing obesity.
A new study from the
University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing), which examined
early life risk factors for obesity among children with ASD, developmental
delays or disorders, and children from the general population, is among the
first to show that children with ASD had the highest frequency of rapid weight
gain during the first six months of life, which may put them at increased risk
for childhood obesity. The study has been published online in the journal
Autism.
"Healthy growth
patterns during infancy, in particular, may carry special importance for
children at increased risk for an ASD diagnosis, including high-risk
populations such as former premature infants, younger siblings of children with
ASD, children with genetic disorders that predispose to ASD and others,"
said Tanja Kral, PhD, Associate Professor of Nursing in the Department of
Biobehavioral Health Sciences and lead author of the study.
The study also showed
that mothers across all groups with pre-pregnancy overweight or obesity were
almost 2.5 times more likely to have a child with overweight or obesity at ages
2-5 than other mothers. The risk for childhood obesity across all groups was
also 1.5 times greater for mothers who exceeded the recommendations for weight gain during pregnancy.
"Helping mothers
achieve a healthy pre-pregnancy weight and adequate gestational weight gain and
fostering healthy growth during infancy represent important targets for all
children," explained Kral.
The findings of this
research may shed light into possible mechanisms underlying the increased
obesity risk in children with ASD and offer targets for early intervention.
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