Association of Cesarean Delivery with Trajectories of Growth and Body Composition in Preschool Children

This study aimed to examine the association of cesarean delivery with trajectories of growth and body composition in preschool children. This ambidirectional cohort study was conducted between 2017 and 2020 in China. Information on the delivery mode, weight, and length/height of the children measured at routine healthcare visits was obtained from maternal and child health records. For three years while in kindergarten, children’s body mass index (BMI), fat mass index (FMI), fat-free mass index (FFMI), and percentage of body fat (FM%) were repeatedly measured. A BMI z score (zBMI) was calculated and standardized to WHO measures, and overweight and obesity were defined using the WHO reference. After adjustment for maternal age, maternal education, annual family income, prepregnancy BMI, gestational weight gain, gravidity, parity, gestational age, child sex, birthweight, breastfeeding duration, and the parent-reported dietary intake of the children, children born via cesarean delivery (n = 1992) versus those born vaginally (n = 1578) had higher zBMI growth rates beyond 36 months (β: 0.003; 95% CI: 0.001, 0.005 SD units/month) and elevated levels of FMI (β: 0.097; 95% CI: 0.026, 0.168 kg/m²), FM% (β: 0.402; 95% CI: 0.058, 0.745%) and zBMI (β: 0.073; 95% CI: 0.012, 0.133 units), but not FFMI (β: 0.022; 95% CI: −0.022, 0.066 kg/m²). The adjusted OR of overweight and obesity was 1.21 (95% CI: 1.04, 1.40). Cesarean delivery likely elevated zBMI growth rates and increased the risk of overweight and obesity in preschool children, with the elevation of fat mass but not fat-free mass.