Weight gain in infancy and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in a prospective birth cohort of Latino children

TL;DR

Rapid weight gain in the first six months of life is linked to a higher risk of liver disease in Latino children later in childhood.

Contribution

This study identifies early infancy weight gain as a risk factor for MASLD in Latino children.

Findings

Higher weight-for-age scores from 0 to 6 months were associated with increased MASLD risk in middle childhood.

The association remained significant after adjusting for confounding factors.

Abstract

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the most common chronic liver disease among U.S. children. Early weight trajectories correlate with obesity, cardiometabolic syndrome, and MASLD in children born small for gestational age.

We evaluated whether increases in weight-for-age (WAZ) score from 0 to 6 months of life, are associated with MASLD in middle childhood, in two prospective birth cohorts of healthy Latino children (n = 136).

After adjusting for confounders, increases in WAZ score from 0 to 6 months of age were associated with a higher risk for MASLD in middle childhood (OR 1.54 95% CI, 1.01–2.36; p = 0.046).

In a prospective study of Latino children, increases in WAZ score from 0 to 6 months were associated with increased risk of MASLD in mid-childhood. This could inform early screening and counseling for MASLD.

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