Objective. To study the dynamic processes that drive development of childhood overweight
by examining the effects of prenatal characteristics and early-life feeding (breastfeeding
versus bottle feeding) on weight states through age 7 years. We test a model to determine
whether prenatal characteristics and early-life feeding influence the development of a
persistent early tendency toward overweight and/or whether prenatal characteristics and
early-life feeding factors influence the likelihood that children will change weight states as …