The research, published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, looked at more than 8,000 babies, half of whom were cared for by someone other than their parents.
Babies in childcare gained more weight than those looked after by parents. The study also found children who started childcare at the age of three months were less likely to have been breastfed and more likely to start solid foods earlier - which led to weight gain.
Researchers said: "Childcare factors were associated with unfavourable infant feeding practices and more weight gain during the first year of life in a nationally representative cohort. The effects of early childcare on breastfeeding and introduction of solid foods warrant longer follow up to determine subsequent risk of childhood weight gain."
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