Babies who gain weight rapidly in the first three months of life are more likely to develop asthma and have it persist into adolescence, according to University of Bristol research.

In this study, lead researcher, Dr Agnes Sonnenschein-van der Voort, and colleagues found that rapid weight gain from birth to age three months was consistently associated with asthma at the ages of eight and 17 years. It was also associated with lower lung function and increased responsiveness of the airways; both signs of asthma. In contrast, rapid weight gain between three and seven years was associated with higher lung function and measures of obstruction at age 15 years.