Nutrition in early life: somatic growth and serum lipids

This paper addresses the questions of whether early nutritional experience affects later somatic growth, the growth of the adipose tissue, or the leve ls of serum lipids among well-nourished children. The analyses are based on data from three prospective studies. Postnatal nutrition and growth: there were differences in growth between breast-fed and formula-fed children. Th ere was no association between linear growth and differences in food energy or macronutrient intake. Birth size and postnatal growth: there was no ass ociation between ponderal index (PI) at birth and body mass index (BMI) in the second year, For boys, the PI at 3 and 6 months of age was significantl y positively correlated with BMI at the ages of 8 and 15 years, but not for girls. Childhood growth and lipids: there was no association between lipid s at the age of 8 years and either birth weight or length, but children who had had a low PI at birth had higher lipid levels at the age 8 pears. A po sitive association was found between serum lipids and abdominal fat and BMI , We conclude that, although early diet may influence growth rate beyond in fancy, the evidence for fat patterning resulting from differences in fetal or early postnatal nutrition is still open to question.