A new study says that babies prone to weight gain in the first six months of life might be more likely to be obese by age 3.

In the study, published in Pediatrics Researchers at Harvard University and Children's Hospital, Boston, divided 559 children into four groups based on compared weight-for-length measurements taken at birth, 6 months, and 3 years of age.

The study revealed that those prone to rapid weight gain for length between birth and 6 months had a 40 percent higher probability of being obese at age 3.

"At first it may seem implausible that weight gain over just a few months early in infancy could have long-term health consequences, but it makes sense because so much of human development takes place during that period -- and even before birth," says researcher Matthew Gillman, MD, of Harvard's Obesity Prevention Program, in the news release. "Now we need to find out how to modify weight gain in infancy in ways that balance the needs of the brain and the body."