Body mass index z‐scores in the first 2 years of life were associated with adverse metabolic and anthropometric outcomes at 3 years of age.

Aim: We investigated associations between body mass index (BMI) z‐scores for children aged 0–2 years and the BMI z‐scores, body fat percentage and metabolic risk factors at 3 years of age. Methods: This was a secondary analysis of the Lifestyle in Pregnancy and Offspring randomised controlled trial, carried out at two university hospitals in Denmark. It comprised 149 mothers with BMI ≥30 kg/m2 who did or did not receive a lifestyle intervention during pregnancy and a reference group of 97 mothers with normal‐weight, with follow‐up of their 3‐year‐old offspring. The children in these three groups were pooled for the data analyses, due to similar characteristics between groups. The BMI z‐scores were calculated at 5 weeks, 5 months and 1, 2 and 3 years, using Danish reference groups. Their anthropometrics and metabolic outcomes were examined at 3 years of age. Results: BMI z‐scores at 5 months to 2 years were associated with BMI z‐scores and body fat percentage at 3 years of age and BMI z‐scores were not associated with metabolic risk factors at 3 years. Conclusion: BMI z‐scores from 5 weeks of age were associated with adverse anthropometric outcomes but not with metabolic risk factors at 3 years of age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]