Growth patterns from birth to overweight at age 5‐6 years of children with various backgrounds in socioeconomic status and country of origin: the ABCD study

INTRODUCTION: Children from minority groups are at increased risk of overweight. This study compared BMI growth patterns from birth onwards of boys and girls with overweight at 5‐6 years, according to socioeconomic status (SES) and country of origin, in order to gain more insight into the critical periods of growth to overweight. METHODS: A total of 3714 singletons of the multi‐ethnic ABCD study were included. Within children with overweight at age 5‐6 years (N = 487, prevalence boys: 11.6%, girls: 14.6%), BMI growth patterns from birth onwards (12.8 serial measurements; SD = 3.1) were compared between children from European (69.4%) and non‐European mothers (30.6%), and between children from low (20.8%), mid (37.0%) or high SES (42.2%), based on maternal educational level. RESULTS: BMI growth to overweight did not differ between children of European or non‐European mothers, but it did differ according to maternal SES. Children with overweight in the low and mid SES group had a lower BMI in the first 2 years of life, an earlier adiposity rebound and increased in BMI more rapidly after age 2, resulting in a higher BMI at age 7 years compared to children with overweight in the high SES group [∆BMI (kg/m(2)) between high and low SES: boys 1.43(95%CI:0.16;3.01) and girls 1.91(0.55;3.27)]. CONCLUSION: Children with overweight from low SES have an early adiposity rebound and accelerated growth to a higher BMI at age 5‐6 years compared to children with overweight from the high SES group. These results imply that timing of critical periods for overweight development is earlier in children with a low socioeconomic background as compared to other children.