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Longitudinal body composition of children born to mothers with normal weight, overweight, and obesity
Author(s) -
Andres Aline,
Hull Holly R.,
Shankar Kartik,
Casey Patrick H.,
Cleves Mario A.,
Badger Thomas M.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
obesity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.438
H-Index - 199
eISSN - 1930-739X
pISSN - 1930-7381
DOI - 10.1002/oby.21078
Subject(s) - overweight , medicine , obesity , offspring , longitudinal study , birth weight , body mass index , pregnancy , gestational age , endocrinology , demography , obstetrics , biology , pathology , sociology , genetics
Objective The longitudinal trajectories of body composition of children born to mothers with normal weight, overweight, and obesity have not been evaluated using precise body composition methods. This study investigated the relationship between maternal prepregnancy BMI and offspring body composition trajectories during the first 6 years of life. Methods Healthy infants ( N = 325) were assessed longitudinally (at ages 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 years) using dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry. Mixed‐effects regression for repeated measures was used to model each continuous outcome as a function of maternal BMI and covariates (race, gestational age, birth weight, and mode of infant feeding). Results Maternal obesity differentially impacted body fat, but not bone mineral content or density, of girls and boys. Boys born to mothers with obesity have higher body fat from ages 2–6 years compared to boys born to normal‐weight and overweight mothers ( P < 0.05), whereas body composition of girls born to mothers with obesity was not different across groups during the first 6 years of life ( P > 0.05). Conclusions This clinical observational study demonstrates a sexual dimorphism in offspring body composition until age 6 years based on maternal BMI, with a greater effect of maternal adiposity seen in boys than in girls.