Associations of weight and body composition at birth with body composition and cardiometabolic markers in children aged 10 y: the Ethiopian infant anthropometry and body composition birth cohort study

Background: Although birth weight (BW) has been associated with later cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, the role of birth fat mass (BFM) and birth fat-free mass (BFFM) on cardiometabolic health is unclear.Objective: To examine associations of BW, BFM, and BFFM with later anthropometry, body composition, abdominal fat, and cardiometabolic markers.Methods: Birth cohort data on standardized exposure variables (BW, BFM, and BFFM) and follow-up information at age 10 y on anthropometry, body composition, abdominal fat, and cardiometabolic markers were included. A linear regression analysis was used to assess associations of exposures with outcome variables, adjusting for maternal and child characteristics at birth and current body size in separate models.Results: Among 353 children, mean (SD) age was 9.8 (1.0) years, and 51.5% were boys. In the fully adjusted model, 1-SD higher BW and BFFM were associated with 0.81 (95%CI: 0.21, 1.41) and 1.25 (95%CI: 0.64, 1.85) cm greater height at 10 y, respectively. The 1-SD higher BW and BFM were associated with 0.32 kg/m2 (95%CI: 0.14, 0.51 kg/m2) and 0.42 kg/m2 (95%CI: 0.25, 0.59 kg/m2) greater fat mass index at 10 y, respectively. In addition, 1-SD higher BW and BFFM were associated with 0.22 kg/m2 (95% CI: 0.09, 0.34 kg/m2) greater FFM index, whereas a 1-SD greater BFM was associated with a 0.05 cm greater subcutaneous adipose tissue (95% CI: 0.01, 0.11 cm). Furthermore, 1-SD higher BW and BFFM were associated with 10.3% (95% CI: 1.4%, 20.0%) and 8.3% (95% CI: -0.5%, 17.9%) greater insulin, respectively. Similarly, 1-SD higher BW and BFFM were associated with 10.0% (95% CI: 0.9%, 20.0%) and 8.5% (95% CI: -0.6%, 18.5%) greater homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, respectively.Conclusions: BW and BFFM rather than BFM are predictors of height and FFM index at 10 y. Children with