Fast-growing baby, overweight adult

WHAT you feed a newborn baby during the first week of life could be critical in deciding whether that baby grows up to be obese, American researchers said. They found that formula-fed babies who gained weight rapidly during their first week of life were significantly more likely to be overweight decades later. "It suggests that there may be a critical period in that first week during which the body's physiology may be programmed to develop chronic diseases throughout life," said Dr Nicolas Stettler, a paediatric nutrition specialist at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

"Our findings also point toward new potential targets for preventing obesity," he added. "If these results are confirmed by other studies, they may lead to interventions in newborns to help prevent long-term development of obesity." Each additional 100 grams of weight gained during the first eight days of life may increase a baby's risk of becoming an overweight adult by about 10 per cent. The study also helps reinforce recommendations that mothers breast-feed their babies.

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