The Effect of Parental Weight and Genetics on the Body Mass Index of Very Low Birth Weight Infants as They Reach School Age

Wolfgang Göpel; Carla Lüders; Katharina Heinze; Tanja K Rausch; Ingmar Fortmann; Silke Szymczak; Inke R König; Egbert Herting; Kathrin Hanke

doi:10.3238/arztebl.m2024.0253

The Effect of Parental Weight and Genetics on the Body Mass Index of Very Low Birth Weight Infants as They Reach School Age

Wolfgang Göpel, Carla Lüders, Katharina Heinze, Tanja K Rausch, Ingmar Fortmann, Silke Szymczak, Inke R König, Egbert Herting, Kathrin Hanke

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Prematurely born individuals are usually of low or normal weight in childhood; in adulthood, however, their probability of being overweight is twice that of persons born at full term. There is not yet any way to predict the weight development of premature babies.

METHODS: A polygenic BMI score (BMI = body-mass index), calculated from the often very small individual effects of more than 2 million genetic variants, was recently described for adults. We studied the possible association of this score with the course of BMI in premature babies over time, from infancy up to the age of 10-14 years.

RESULTS: 508 individuals were included in the study. At the age of 5-7 years, their mean body weight was 18.8 ± 3.3 kg. The difference between the highest and lowest deciles of the polygenic score was 3.3 kg. At age 10-14, the average body weight was 41.3 ± 11.3 kg, and the difference between the highest and lowest deciles had increased to 9.2 kg. In persons with birth weight under the 10th percentile (n = 68), the difference was 19.2 kg (30.9 kg vs. 50.1 kg). The polygenic BMI score was significantly associated with the BMI z-scores of the overall group and the subgroup of growth-retarded children.

CONCLUSION: Extreme values of a polygenic BMI score are strongly associated with the weight development of preterm infants as they develop into children aged 10-14. The large effect size implies that this score may aid in the counseling of prematurely born children and their parents.

Original language	English
Journal	Deutsches Arzteblatt International
Volume	122
Issue number	3
Pages (from-to)	65-70
Number of pages	6
ISSN	1866-0452
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3238/arztebl.m2024.0253
Publication status	Published - 07.02.2025

Funding

Funders	Funder number
Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung	01ER1501, 01ER0805
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft	SFB 1665–515637292

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

DFG Research Classification Scheme

2.22-20 Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine

Access to Document

10.3238/arztebl.m2024.0253

Cite this

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title = "The Effect of Parental Weight and Genetics on the Body Mass Index of Very Low Birth Weight Infants as They Reach School Age",

abstract = "BACKGROUND: Prematurely born individuals are usually of low or normal weight in childhood; in adulthood, however, their probability of being overweight is twice that of persons born at full term. There is not yet any way to predict the weight development of premature babies.METHODS: A polygenic BMI score (BMI = body-mass index), calculated from the often very small individual effects of more than 2 million genetic variants, was recently described for adults. We studied the possible association of this score with the course of BMI in premature babies over time, from infancy up to the age of 10-14 years.RESULTS: 508 individuals were included in the study. At the age of 5-7 years, their mean body weight was 18.8 ± 3.3 kg. The difference between the highest and lowest deciles of the polygenic score was 3.3 kg. At age 10-14, the average body weight was 41.3 ± 11.3 kg, and the difference between the highest and lowest deciles had increased to 9.2 kg. In persons with birth weight under the 10th percentile (n = 68), the difference was 19.2 kg (30.9 kg vs. 50.1 kg). The polygenic BMI score was significantly associated with the BMI z-scores of the overall group and the subgroup of growth-retarded children.CONCLUSION: Extreme values of a polygenic BMI score are strongly associated with the weight development of preterm infants as they develop into children aged 10-14. The large effect size implies that this score may aid in the counseling of prematurely born children and their parents.",

author = "Wolfgang G{\"o}pel and Carla L{\"u}ders and Katharina Heinze and Rausch, \{Tanja K\} and Ingmar Fortmann and Silke Szymczak and K{\"o}nig, \{Inke R\} and Egbert Herting and Kathrin Hanke",

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T1 - The Effect of Parental Weight and Genetics on the Body Mass Index of Very Low Birth Weight Infants as They Reach School Age

AU - Göpel, Wolfgang

AU - Lüders, Carla

AU - Heinze, Katharina

AU - Rausch, Tanja K

AU - Fortmann, Ingmar

AU - Szymczak, Silke

AU - König, Inke R

AU - Herting, Egbert

AU - Hanke, Kathrin

PY - 2025/2/7

Y1 - 2025/2/7

N2 - BACKGROUND: Prematurely born individuals are usually of low or normal weight in childhood; in adulthood, however, their probability of being overweight is twice that of persons born at full term. There is not yet any way to predict the weight development of premature babies.METHODS: A polygenic BMI score (BMI = body-mass index), calculated from the often very small individual effects of more than 2 million genetic variants, was recently described for adults. We studied the possible association of this score with the course of BMI in premature babies over time, from infancy up to the age of 10-14 years.RESULTS: 508 individuals were included in the study. At the age of 5-7 years, their mean body weight was 18.8 ± 3.3 kg. The difference between the highest and lowest deciles of the polygenic score was 3.3 kg. At age 10-14, the average body weight was 41.3 ± 11.3 kg, and the difference between the highest and lowest deciles had increased to 9.2 kg. In persons with birth weight under the 10th percentile (n = 68), the difference was 19.2 kg (30.9 kg vs. 50.1 kg). The polygenic BMI score was significantly associated with the BMI z-scores of the overall group and the subgroup of growth-retarded children.CONCLUSION: Extreme values of a polygenic BMI score are strongly associated with the weight development of preterm infants as they develop into children aged 10-14. The large effect size implies that this score may aid in the counseling of prematurely born children and their parents.

AB - BACKGROUND: Prematurely born individuals are usually of low or normal weight in childhood; in adulthood, however, their probability of being overweight is twice that of persons born at full term. There is not yet any way to predict the weight development of premature babies.METHODS: A polygenic BMI score (BMI = body-mass index), calculated from the often very small individual effects of more than 2 million genetic variants, was recently described for adults. We studied the possible association of this score with the course of BMI in premature babies over time, from infancy up to the age of 10-14 years.RESULTS: 508 individuals were included in the study. At the age of 5-7 years, their mean body weight was 18.8 ± 3.3 kg. The difference between the highest and lowest deciles of the polygenic score was 3.3 kg. At age 10-14, the average body weight was 41.3 ± 11.3 kg, and the difference between the highest and lowest deciles had increased to 9.2 kg. In persons with birth weight under the 10th percentile (n = 68), the difference was 19.2 kg (30.9 kg vs. 50.1 kg). The polygenic BMI score was significantly associated with the BMI z-scores of the overall group and the subgroup of growth-retarded children.CONCLUSION: Extreme values of a polygenic BMI score are strongly associated with the weight development of preterm infants as they develop into children aged 10-14. The large effect size implies that this score may aid in the counseling of prematurely born children and their parents.

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JO - Deutsches Arzteblatt International

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IS - 3

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The Effect of Parental Weight and Genetics on the Body Mass Index of Very Low Birth Weight Infants as They Reach School Age

Abstract

Funding

UN SDGs

DFG Research Classification Scheme

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SFB 1665: Sexdiversity - Determinants, meanings and implications of sex diversity in sociocultural, medical and biological landscapes

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The Effect of Parental Weight and Genetics on the Body Mass Index of Very Low Birth Weight Infants as They Reach School Age

Abstract

Funding

UN SDGs

DFG Research Classification Scheme

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Projects

SFB 1665: Sexdiversity - Determinants, meanings and implications of sex diversity in sociocultural, medical and biological landscapes

Cite this