Parental education and family income affect birth weight, early longitudinal growth and body mass index development differently.

Parental education protected against childhood obesity, even after adjusting for income and other important parental characteristics. Income-related differences in height, despite similar BMIs, raise questions about body composition and metabolic risk profiles. The dominant role of education underscores the value of health literacy initiatives for the parents of young children. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.