Egg Introduction during Infancy is Associated with Lower Fat Mass Index in Females at Early Adolescence

Choudhary D et al, January 2023, Egg Introduction during Infancy is Associated with Lower Fat Mass Index in Females at Early Adolescence, The Journal of Nutrition, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2022.11.003

Background: Egg consumption may play an important role in early-life growth given their high-quality protein, essential fatty acids, and micronutrients.

Objectives: Study objectives were to examine the longitudinal associations of infant age at egg introduction with obesity outcomes in early childhood, middle childhood (mid-childhood), and early adolescence.

Methods: We used existing data from 1089 mother-child dyads from Project Viva to estimate age at egg introduction through a questionnaire completed by mothers at ~1 y postpartum (mean SD, 13.3 1.2 mo). Outcome measures included height and weight (early childhood, mid-childhood, and early adolescence), body composition including total fat mass, trunk fat mass, and lean mass (mid-childhood and early adolescence), and plasma adiponectin and leptin (early and mid-childhood and early adolescence). We defined childhood obesity as sex- and age-specific BMI 95th percentile. We estimated the associations of infant age at egg introduction with risk of obesity using multivariable logistic regression and multivariable linear regression models for BMI-z-score, body composition measures, and adiposity hormones; adjusted for maternal prepregnancy BMI and sociodemographics.

Results: Among females, those introduced to egg by the 1-y survey had a lower total fat mass index (confounder-adjusted mean difference, 1.23 kg/m2; 95% CI: 2.14, 0.31), and trunk fat mass index (confounder-adjusted mean difference, 0.57 kg/m2 ; 95% CI: 1.01, 0.12) in early adolescence compared to those not introduced (reference group).

However, no associations between infant age at egg introduction and risk of obesity were observed among males (confounder-adjusted odd ratio [aOR], 1.97; 95% CI: 0.90, 4.30) or females
(aOR, 0.68; 95% CI: 0.38, 1.24) across all ages. Egg introduction in infancy was associated with lower plasma adiponectin among females (confounder-adjusted mean difference, 1.93 μg/mL; 95% CI: 3.70, 0.16) in early childhood only.

Conclusions: Egg introduction during infancy among females is associated with lower total fat mass index in early adolescence and plasma adiponectin in early childhood. 

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