Obesity Risk Cited for Fast-Growing Babies

Babies who grow very fast may be at risk to become obese, a new study suggests. The study looked at medical records for more than 44,000 children. Their growth measurements were put into charts that compared children’s weight with others of the same height (or length, for babies). Heavier children were in the higher percentiles. Researchers checked to see when children crossed certain milestones on the charts. At the higher end, these milestones included the 50th, 75th, 90th and 95th percentiles. Babies who crossed 2 milestones by the age of 2 were twice as likely to be obese by age 5. The authors said such rapid growth could be a sign that a child is being overfed or not active enough. The journal Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine published the study. An editorial in the same issue urged caution in using these measurements.