Association of Gestational Age in a Full Range With Childhood Overweight and Obesity: A Systematic Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND

Existing evidence shows inconsistent associations between preterm birth and childhood obesity. The impact of full gestational age on the risk of childhood obesity and overweight remains unclear.

OBJECTIVES

This systematic scoping review aims to comprehensively explore the relationship between gestational age at birth across the entire spectrum and childhood overweight and obesity.

METHOD: A thorough search of online databases (PubMed, Ovid Medline, and Google Scholar) covering the period from January 2000 to September 2024 was conducted using selected keyword strings following the PRISMA-SCR guidelines. Studies investigating childhood overweight or obesity as either a primary or secondary outcome in association with various degrees of births were included.

RESULT: Twenty-eight studies met the inclusion criteria. Substantial evidence linked preterm births to childhood overweight/obesity. However, the available evidence for term-born and post-term-born children was limited, showing mixed results regarding their relationship with childhood overweight and obesity.

CONCLUSION

The available evidence regarding the association between different gestational age categories and childhood overweight/obesity is limited. This review underscores the importance of implementing primary prevention strategies during early childhood and highlights the need for further research to enhance our understanding of the nuanced relationship between gestational age and childhood overweight/obesity.