Prevalence of High Weight Status in Children Under 2 Years in NHANES and Statewide Electronic Health Records Data in North Carolina and South Carolina

Infant Obesity Prevention Programs for Underrepresented Mothers in a Home Visiting Program: A Qualitative and Community-Engaged Needs Assessment

A qualitative, community-engaged assessment was conducted to identify needs and priorities for infant obesity prevention programs among mothers participating in home visiting programs. Thirty-two stakeholders (i.e., community partners, mothers, home visitors) affiliated with a home visiting program serving low-income families during the prenatal to age three period participated in group level assessment sessions or individual qualitative interviews. Results indicated families face many challenges to obesity prevention particularly in terms of healthy eating. An obesity prevention program can address these challenges by offering realistic feeding options and non-judgmental peer support, improving access to resources, and tailoring program content to individual family needs and preferences. Informational needs, family factors in healthy eating outcomes, and the importance of access and awareness of programs were also noted. To ensure the cultural- and contextual-relevance of infant obesity prevention programs for underserved populations, needs and preferences among community stakeholders and the focal population should be used as a roadmap for intervention development.

Prenatal ambient air pollution exposure and child weight trajectories from the 3rd trimester of pregnancy to 2 years of age: a cohort study

BACKGROUND

Prenatal air pollution exposure may increase risk for childhood obesity. However, few studies have evaluated in utero growth measures and infant weight trajectories. This study will evaluate the associations of prenatal exposure to ambient air pollutants with weight trajectories from the 3rd trimester through age 2 years.

METHODS

We studied 490 pregnant women who were recruited from the Maternal and Development Risks from Environmental and Social Stressors (MADRES) cohort, which comprises a low-income, primarily Hispanic population in Los Angeles, California. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter < 10 µm (PM10), particulate matter < 2.5 µm (PM2.5), and ozone (O3) concentrations during pregnancy were estimated from regulatory air monitoring stations. Fetal weight was estimated from maternal ultrasound records. Infant/child weight measurements were extracted from medical records or measured during follow-up visits. Piecewise spline models were used to assess the effect of air pollutants on weight, overall growth, and growth during each period.

RESULTS

The mean (SD) prenatal exposure concentrations for NO2, PM2.5, PM10, and O3 were 16.4 (2.9) ppb, 12.0 (1.1) μg/m3, 28.5 (4.7) μg/m3, and 26.2 (2.9) ppb, respectively. Comparing an increase in prenatal average air pollutants from the 10th to the 90th percentile, the growth rate from the 3rd trimester to age 3 months was significantly increased (1.55% [95%CI 1.20%, 1.99%] for PM2.5 and 1.64% [95%CI 1.27%, 2.13%] for NO2), the growth rate from age 6 months to age 2 years was significantly decreased (0.90% [95%CI 0.82%, 1.00%] for NO2), and the attained weight at age 2 years was significantly lower (- 7.50% [95% CI - 13.57%, - 1.02%] for PM10 and - 7.00% [95% CI - 11.86%, - 1.88%] for NO2).

CONCLUSIONS

Prenatal ambient air pollution was associated with variable changes in growth rate and attained weight from the 3rd trimester to age 2 years. These results suggest continued public health benefits of reducing ambient air pollution levels, particularly in marginalized populations.

Timing and Magnitude of Peak Body Mass Index and Peak Weight Velocity in Infancy Predict Body Mass Index at 2 Years in a Retrospective Cohort of Electronic Health Record Data

OBJECTIVES

To use growth data from electronic health records to describe and model infant growth (weight velocity and peak body mass index [pBMI]) characteristics.

STUDY DESIGN

We extracted data from all children born at ≥34 weeks of gestation within one health system between 2014 and 2017. After excluding implausible growth data with an algorithm created for childhood growth, we estimated pBMI, peak weight and length velocities, and the odds of obesity at 2 years, adjusted for race, sex, ethnicity, and birth weight, by the magnitude of peak weight velocity, peak length velocity, and pBMI.

RESULTS

Among 6425 children (41% White, 28% Black, 26% other race; 16% Hispanic ethnicity), mean pBMI was 17.9 kg/m² (SD 1.5) and mean age at pBMI was 9.6 months (SD 2.7). Mean peak weight velocity was 949 g (SD 165) per 2 weeks, and the mean peak length velocity was 3.4 cm (SD 0.3) per 2 weeks. Children with obesity at 2 years (n = 931, 14.5%) were more likely to be Hispanic, had greater peak weight and peak length velocities, and had 2 kg/m² greater magnitude of pBMI than children without obesity. For each unit increase in pBMI, children had more than 4 times greater odds of obesity at age 2 years.

CONCLUSIONS

In a large sample of infants with clinical growth data tracked via electronic health records, we found associations between the magnitude and timing of peak infant BMI and obesity at 2 years of age.