Infant Motor Milestones and Childhood Overweight: Trends over Two Decades in A Large Twin Cohort

Silvia I. Brouwer, Ronald P. Stolk, Meike Bartels, Toos C.E.M. van Beijsterveld, Dorret I. Boomsma and Eva Corpeleijn
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Silvia I. Brouwer: Institute of Sportstudies, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Zernikeplein 17, 9747 AS Groningen, The Netherlands
Ronald P. Stolk: Department of Epidemilogy, University Medical Center Groningen, PO Box 30.001, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands
Meike Bartels: Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Toos C.E.M. van Beijsterveld: Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Dorret I. Boomsma: Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Eva Corpeleijn: Department of Epidemilogy, University Medical Center Groningen, PO Box 30.001, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 7, 1-12

Abstract: Background: Poor motor skill competence may influence energy balance with childhood overweight as a result. Our aim was to investigate whether the age of motor milestone achievement has changed over the past decades and whether this change may contribute to the increasing trend observed in childhood overweight. Methods: Motor skill competence was assessed in children from the Young Netherlands Twin Register born between 1987 and 2007. Follow-up ranged from 4 up to 10 years. Weight and height were assessed at birth, 6 months, 14 months, and 2, 4, 7, and 10 years. Results: Babies born in later cohorts achieved their motor milestones ‘crawling’, ‘standing’, and ‘walking unassisted’ later compared to babies born in earlier cohorts (N = 18,514, p < 0.001). The prevalence of overweight at age 10 was higher in later cohorts (p = 0.033). The increase in overweight at age 10 was not explained by achieving motor milestones at a later age and this persisted after adjusting for gestational age, sex, and socioeconomic status. Conclusion: Comparing children born in 1987 to those born in 2007, we conclude that children nowadays achieve their motor milestones at a later age. This does not however, explain the increasing trend in childhood overweight.

Keywords: motor milestones; infant; childhood; overweight; BMI; secular trends (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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