Rapid weight gain (RWG) in infants is associated with numerous health problems, and its risk factors are still unclear. We assessed 98,097 maternal-infant pairs from a population-based cohort study and followed up with them until the infants were 6 months old. We assessed the associations between maternal prepregnancy weight status; gestational weight gain; feeding pattern; and infants' RWG at 0-1, 0-3, 1-3, and 3-6 months using multivariate unconditional logistic regression models, with controlled confounders. We found that maternal prepregnancy weight status, gestational weight gain, and feeding pattern at the 1st, 3rd, and 6th months had significant impacts on the infants' RWG at each time period (P<0.05). Infants with overweight/obese mothers had a higher risk of RWG after birth, whereas those of mothers who experienced excessive gestational weight gain had higher risks of RWG from birth than the other groups (P<0.01). Infants who were formula-fed had a higher risk of RWG than breastfed infants at the same time point (P<0.01). In conclusion, maternal prepregnancy obesity, excessive gestational weight gain, and formula-feeding were risk factors for infants' RWG during the first 6 months of life.
Keywords: body mass index; breastfeeding; gestational weight gain; influencing factor; rapid weight gain.