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Exploring the association between maternal prenatal multivitamin use and early infant growth: The Healthy Start Study
Author(s) -
Sauder K. A.,
Starling A. P.,
Shapiro A. L.,
Kaar J. L.,
Ringham B. M.,
Glueck D. H.,
Dabelea D.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
pediatric obesity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.226
H-Index - 69
eISSN - 2047-6310
pISSN - 2047-6302
DOI - 10.1111/ijpo.12084
Subject(s) - offspring , multivitamin , medicine , body mass index , pregnancy , breastfeeding , quartile , gestational age , confounding , obstetrics , physiology , endocrinology , pediatrics , biology , vitamin , confidence interval , genetics
Summary Background Prenatal multivitamin supplementation is recommended to improve offspring outcomes, but effects on early infant growth are unknown. Objectives We examined whether multivitamin supplementation in the year before delivery predicts offspring mass, body composition and early infant growth. Methods Multivitamin use was assessed longitudinally in 626 women from the Healthy Start Study. Offspring body size and composition was measured with air displacement plethysmography at birth (<3 days) and postnatally (median 5.2 months). Separate multiple linear regressions assessed the relationship of weeks of daily multivitamin use with offspring mass, body composition and postnatal growth, after adjustment for potential confounders (maternal age, race, pre‐pregnant body mass index; offspring gestational age at birth, sex; breastfeeding exclusivity). Results Maternal multivitamin use was not related to offspring mass or body composition at birth, or rate of change in total or fat‐free mass in the first 5 months. Multivitamin use was inversely associated with average monthly growth in offspring percent fat mass ( β = −0.009, p = 0.049) between birth and postnatal exam. Offspring of non‐users had a monthly increase in percent fat mass of 3.45%, while offspring at the top quartile of multivitamin users had a monthly increase in percent fat mass of 3.06%. This association was not modified by exclusive breastfeeding. Conclusions Increased multivitamin use in the pre‐conception and prenatal periods was associated with a slower rate of growth in offspring percent fat mass in the first 5 months of life. This study provides further evidence that in utero nutrient exposures may affect offspring adiposity beyond birth.