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Birth Weight and Long-Term Overweight Risk: Systematic Review and a Meta-Analysis Including 643,902 Persons from 66 Studies and 26 Countries Globally

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  • Karen Schellong
  • Sandra Schulz
  • Thomas Harder
  • Andreas Plagemann

Abstract

Background: Overweight is among the major challenging health risk factors. It has been claimed that birth weight, being a critical indicator of prenatal developmental conditions, is related to long-term overweight risk. In order to check this important assumption of developmental and preventive medicine, we performed a systematic review and comprehensive meta-analysis. Methods and Findings: Relevant studies published up to January 2011 that investigated the relation between birth weight and later risk of overweight were identified through literature searches using MEDLINE and EMBASE. For meta-analysis, 66 studies from 26 countries and five continents were identified to be eligible, including 643,902 persons aged 1 to 75 years. We constructed random-effects and fixed-effects models, performed subgroup-analyses, influence-analyses, assessed heterogeneity and publication bias, performed meta-regression analysis as well as analysis of confounder adjusted data. Meta-regression revealed a linear positive relationship between birth weight and later overweight risk (p 4,000 g) was associated with increased risk of overweight (OR = 1.66; 95% CI 1.55–1.77). Results did not change significantly by using normal birth weight (2,500–4,000 g) as reference category (OR = 0.73, 95% CI 0.63–0.84, and OR = 1.60, 95% CI 1.45–1.77, respectively). Subgroup- and influence-analyses revealed no indication for bias/confounding. Adjusted estimates indicate a doubling of long-term overweight risk in high as compared to normal birth weight subjects (OR = 1.96, 95% CI 1.43–2.67). Conclusions: Findings demonstrate that low birth weight is followed by a decreased long-term risk of overweight, while high birth weight predisposes for later overweight. Preventing in-utero overnutrition, e.g., by avoiding maternal overnutrition, overweight and/or diabetes during pregnancy, might therefore be a promising strategy of genuine overweight prevention, globally.

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  • Karen Schellong & Sandra Schulz & Thomas Harder & Andreas Plagemann, 2012. "Birth Weight and Long-Term Overweight Risk: Systematic Review and a Meta-Analysis Including 643,902 Persons from 66 Studies and 26 Countries Globally," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(10), pages 1-1, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0047776
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0047776
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    1. Arend W van Deutekom & Mai J M Chinapaw & Elise P Jansma & Tanja G M Vrijkotte & Reinoud J B J Gemke, 2017. "The Association of Birth Weight and Infant Growth with Energy Balance-Related Behavior – A Systematic Review and Best-Evidence Synthesis of Human Studies," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(1), pages 1-21, January.
    2. Katharina Reiss & Jürgen Breckenkamp & Theda Borde & Silke Brenne & Wolfgang Henrich & Matthias David & Oliver Razum, 2016. "The association of pre-pregnancy overweight and obesity with delivery outcomes: a comparison of immigrant and non-immigrant women in Berlin, Germany," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 61(4), pages 455-463, May.
    3. Samantha M Garay & Katrina A Savory & Lorna Sumption & Richard Penketh & Anna B Janssen & Rosalind M John, 2019. "The Grown in Wales Study: Examining dietary patterns, custom birthweight centiles and the risk of delivering a small-for-gestational age (SGA) infant," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(3), pages 1-13, March.
    4. Silvia I. Brouwer & Ronald P. Stolk & Meike Bartels & Toos C.E.M. van Beijsterveld & Dorret I. Boomsma & Eva Corpeleijn, 2020. "Infant Motor Milestones and Childhood Overweight: Trends over Two Decades in A Large Twin Cohort," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-12, March.

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