Infant body composition and postnatal weight gain have been implicated in the development of adult obesity and cardiovascular disease, but there are limited prospective data regarding the association between infant adiposity, postnatal growth and early cardiovascular parameters. Increased aortic intima-media thickness (aortic IMT) is an intermediate phenotype of early atherosclerosis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between weight and adiposity at birth, postnatal growth and aortic IMT. The Barwon Infant Study (n=1074 mother–infant pairs) is a population-derived birth cohort. Infant weight and other anthropometry were measured at birth and 6 weeks of age. Aortic IMT was measured by trans-abdominal ultrasound at 6 weeks of age (n=835). After adjustment for aortic size and other factors, markers of adiposity including increased birth weight (β=19.9 μm/kg, 95%CI 11.1, 28.6; P<0.001) and birth skinfold thickness (β=6.9 μm/mm, 95%CI 3.3, 10.5; P<0.001) were associated with aortic IMT at 6 weeks. The association between birth skinfold thickness and aortic IMT was independent of birth weight. In addition, greater postnatal weight gain was associated with increased aortic IMT, independent of birth weight and age at time of scan (β=11.3 μm/kg increase, 95%CI 2.2, 20.3; P=0.01). Increased infant weight and adiposity at birth, as well as increased early weight gain, were positively associated with aortic IMT. Excessive accumulation of adiposity during gestation and early infancy may have adverse effects on cardiovascular risk.
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March 2016
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Cover Image
Cover Image
Image of immunofluroscence staining of mouse gonads (left – testis and right – ovary) attached to the mesonephros from between embryonic day 12 and 13. Green indicates the sertoli cell protein Anti-Mullerain Hormone (AMH) and red indicates the ovarian protein called Foxl2. Blue indicates DAPI (which stains the nucleus). The antibodies are AMH (MIS) E19 santa Cruz, sc-34833 and Foxl2 Novus NB100-1277. For further details please see pp. 421-432. The image was kindly generated and provided by I. Knarston, K. Ayers and A. Sinclair.
Research Article|
February 04 2016
Infant adiposity at birth and early postnatal weight gain predict increased aortic intima-media thickness at 6 weeks of age: a population-derived cohort study
Kate McCloskey;
Kate McCloskey
*Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
†Child Health Research Unit, Barwon Health, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia
‡Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
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David Burgner;
David Burgner
1
*Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
‡Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
§Department of Paediatrics, Monash University, VIC 3800, Australia
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John B. Carlin;
John B. Carlin
*Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
‡Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
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Michael R. Skilton;
Michael R. Skilton
║Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercize and Eating Disorders, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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Michael Cheung;
Michael Cheung
*Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
‡Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
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Terence Dwyer;
Terence Dwyer
*Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
‡Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
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Peter Vuillermin;
Peter Vuillermin
1
*Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
†Child Health Research Unit, Barwon Health, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia
¶Deakin University, Geelong, VIC 3220, Australia
Correspondence: Peter Vuillermin (email [email protected]).
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Anne-Louise Ponsonby;
Anne-Louise Ponsonby
1
*Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
‡Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
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on behalf of the BIS investigator group
on behalf of the BIS investigator group
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
September 28 2015
Revision Received:
November 26 2015
Accepted:
December 14 2015
Accepted Manuscript online:
December 14 2015
Online ISSN: 1470-8736
Print ISSN: 0143-5221
© 2016 Authors; published by Portland Press Limited
2016
Clin Sci (Lond) (2016) 130 (6): 443–450.
Article history
Received:
September 28 2015
Revision Received:
November 26 2015
Accepted:
December 14 2015
Accepted Manuscript online:
December 14 2015
Citation
Kate McCloskey, David Burgner, John B. Carlin, Michael R. Skilton, Michael Cheung, Terence Dwyer, Peter Vuillermin, Anne-Louise Ponsonby, on behalf of the BIS investigator group; Infant adiposity at birth and early postnatal weight gain predict increased aortic intima-media thickness at 6 weeks of age: a population-derived cohort study. Clin Sci (Lond) 1 March 2016; 130 (6): 443–450. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/CS20150685
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