According to a provocative study (J Pediatr 2013; 162: 753-8), receiving childcare as opposed to parental care was associated with increased weight.
1649 children were enrolled in a prospective birth cohort in Quebec. Information about childcare was completed by their mothers at ages 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 and 4 years. In addition, body mass index (BMI) was checked at ages 4, 6, 7, and 10 years of age.
Compared with care at home, children who attended a center-based childcare or were cared for by a relative were at increased risk of being overweight or obese, with odds ratios of 1.65 for center-based care and 1.5 for relative-based care. Furthermore, increased hours away from home was associated with increased odds; every 5 hours increased the likelihood by 9% in the first decade of life.
These associations could not be explained by a number of potential confounding factors including socioeconomic status, breastfeeding, maternal employment, and maternal BMI (along with many other factors). In addition, the authors note in their discussion that these results are in line with other large studies from a number of countries. One hypothesis for relative-based care has been that this may involve less physical activity, especially by grandparents.
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