Premium
Fetal growth only partially explains the increased risk for obesity in children of women who gain excessive weight during pregnancy: A large multi‐center, multi‐ethnic cohort study
Author(s) -
Stettler Nicolas,
Wrotniak Brian H.,
Shults Justine,
Butts Samantha
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.22.1_supplement.453.2
Subject(s) - weight gain , medicine , overweight , pregnancy , offspring , obstetrics , obesity , birth weight , confounding , logistic regression , cohort , fetus , body mass index , pediatrics , body weight , endocrinology , biology , genetics
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate if fetal growth (assess by birth weight) explains the association of excessive pregnancy weight gain with obesity in the offspring at age 7 years. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of 10,228 subjects of the Collaborative Perinatal Project (1959–72). Logistic regression was used after adjustment for important confounding factors, then, after further adjustment for birth weight. RESULTS: Pregnancy weight gain was excessive in 11% of women and 5.7% of offspring became overweight at age 7 years. Birth weight was higher after excessive vs. appropriate pregnancy weight gain and among overweight vs. non‐overweight children. Children of mothers who gained excessive vs. appropriate weight were more likely to be overweight: OR= 1.48, 95%CI: 1.06–2.06, p=0.02. After adjusting for birth weight, the association magnitude relative decrease was 5%, but it remained significant: 1.40, 1.00–1.95, 0.05. CONCLUSIONS: Fetal growth only partially explains the increased risk for obesity in children of women who gain excessive weight during pregnancy, perhaps due to fetal programming expressed after the neonatal period. Improved adherence to pregnancy weight gain recommendations may be a new and effective way to prevent childhood obesity, independent of fetal growth, since, currently, 46% of U.S. women exceed these recommendations. Support: Nutrition Center of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia