Relationships of Birthweight and Postnatal Growth with Metabolic Risk Factors in Junior School Children in Korea

We investigated the relationships of birthweight and postnatal growth with the components of metabolic syndrome and their clustering in young schoolchildren in Korea. The subjects comprised 261 children aged 7-9 years who were recruited from an elementary school. Information on birthweight was obtained from their parents using a questionnaire, and data were also collected via anthropometric measurement, and biochemical examinations including blood. The current body mass index (BMI) and change in weight SD score were associated with clustering of metabolic risk factors. Those in the lowest birthweight group (<2.5kg) had an approximately sixfold increased risk of clustering of metabolic syndrome components compared to the others when adjusted for gender, age, current BMI, and maternal factors. Accelerated growth was also associated with an approximately tenfold increased risk for adverse effect regarding clustering of metabolic risk factors than those with normal growth patterns, even in children aged 7-9 years. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures (BPs) were the only components that were positively associated with weight SD score change and current BMI. The results of this study suggest that monitoring growth throughout childhood is necessary to reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome.