Early-life nutritional status as a determinant of bone density and hip joint morphology in children.

Background: Early childhood is an important period of skeletal development during which nutritional exposures can affect mineral accretion and joint morphology. Nonetheless, few studies have compared bone mineral density (BMD) and hip joint morphology in children. Objectives: The aim of the study is to investigate the relationship between the nutritional status of children at an early age and the BMD and morphology of hip joints in children. Methods: It was a retrospective cohort study of 550 children aged 614 years who had the data of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and hip radiography (January 2021-December 2025). The nutritional status of infants in early life was defined as adequate or suboptimal based on the infant's feeding practices and developmental indicators. Regression analyses were performed using multivariate models, adjusting for age, sex, birth weight, BMI, gestational age, physical activity, and vitamin D supplementation. Results: The children who were fed poorly in their early life had poorer total-body and site-specific Conclusion: Nutritional status in early-life was found to be significantly connected with the bone mineral density and morphology of hip joints in childhood. The results indicate that early nutritional exposures may play an important role in children's skeletal health, but it is impossible to draw causal conclusions because the study is retrospective.