12 ANM464302.indd

Background: Whilst prevention of growth faltering has both shortand long-term health benefits, whether too fast or accelerated infant growth adversely affects later health outcomes is controversial and a major focus of research. Summary: Many observational studies suggest that rapid weight gain in infancy (upward centile crossing) increases the long-term risk of obesity and non-communicable disease. This association has been seen in infants from lowand high-income countries, in infants born preterm or at term, and those born with normal or low birth weight for gestation. Experimental (randomized) studies in both breastand formula-fed infants support a causal link between early growth acceleration and infant nutrition and later risk of obesity. These observations suggest that strategies to optimize the pattern of infant growth could make a major contribution to stemming the current global epidemic of non-communicable disease. Key Messages: The optimal pattern of infant weight gain is likely to differ in different populations. The benefits of rapid infant weight gain for later neurodevelopment favors the promotion of rapid growth in infants born Received: January 14, 2017 Accepted February 13, 2017 Published online: March 17, 2017 Prof. Atul Singhal The Childhood Nutrition Research Centre, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London 30 Guilford Street, WC1N1EH London (UK) E-Mail a.singhal @ ich.ucl.ac.uk © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel