| Obesity is common in mothers and children in developed countries. In a series of studies, we examined the role of infant feeding as a link between the mother's weight status and that of her offspring, as well as the assessment of obesity in young children.;We found that the peripartum experience of overweight and obese mothers explains a substantial percentage of the relationship between maternal obesity and the early breastfeeding experience. Specifically, C-section deliveries and a long separation between the mother and the baby immediately after birth, explained 25% and 78% of the relationship between maternal obesity and time to the first breastfeed, respectively, and 15% and 27% of the relationship between maternal obesity and suboptimal infant breastfeeding behavior at d 7, respectively.;Assessing obesity in children under the age of 5 y is critical for addressing the problem of obesity in a timely manner. We found that using the World Health Organization (WHO) growth standards allowed for an earlier detection of obesity compared to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) growth reference (P<0.0001). We also found that using the WHO growth standards will result in a greater prevalence of obesity in children than using the CDC growth reference (23.3% vs 16.9%, P<0.0001).;Rapid weight gain in infancy is known to increase the risk of subsequent obesity. We showed that infant feeding mode modifies this relationship, such that formula fed infants who gain weight rapidly in the first 3 mo of life have a much higher risk of later obesity than infants who are fed human milk and who gain weight rapidly (AOR=6.36 vs 2.05, P=0.04). |
