Low-birth-weight kids are more likely to have health complications if they later become obese These kids were more likely to have insulin resistance and fatty liver due to obesity Low birth weight could influence the way the body stores fat, increasing health risks WEDNESDAY, June 26, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Low-birth-weight newborns have a higher risk of health complications if they become obese as children, a new study has found. Obese children who were low-birth-weight babies have a higher risk of insulin resistance, fatty liver and other health problems, researchers found. The study “supports the theory that individuals who were born low birth weight, or who are genetically predisposed to low birth weight, may be more vulnerable to health hazards -- such as excess visceral fat -- throughout the course of life,” said lead researcher Sara Stinson , a postdoctoral research fellow with Oslo University Hospital in Norway.
Previous studies already have tied high birth weight to an increased risk of overweight and obesity, and low birth weight to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes . To understand these links more, researchers analyzed data on more than 4,000 children. The data included birth weight, BMI, medical records, blood samples and a genetic health risk score associated with birth weight.
They found that a low-birth-weight child’s insulin sensitivity suffers if they put on excess pounds. “In children with obesity, we see near normal insulin sensitivity in child.
