A Prospective Study of Relations Among Infant, Maternal, and Paternal Adiposity Indicators

Abstract

Abstract Objectives This study examines relations of infant birth size and growth with maternal early pregnancy BMI, gestational weight gain (GWG), postpartum weight change and paternal body size. Methods Infant birth size (small for gestational age- SGA, <10th percentile and large for gestational age- LGA, >90th percentile) and weight-for-length z-scores (WFLz) were calculated from anthropometrics obtained at birth (n = 331), 6 weeks, 6 months and 12 months of age. Maternal early pregnancy BMI, GWG, % of GWG lost (%GWGL), and return to early pregnancy weight (EPW) were derived from height and weight measured from early pregnancy (mean ± SD = 9.9 ± 1.7 weeks gestation) through 12 months postpartum. Mothers reported father's baseline body size via Stunkard figure ratings. Logistic regressions and linear mixed models estimated relations of SGA, LGA and WFLz with parent weight indicators. Multiplicative interaction terms tested interactions of maternal BMI with pregnancy and postpartum weight change, and of paternal with maternal weight indicators. Analyses controlled for maternal height, demographics, child sex, gestational age at delivery, and delivery mode. Results LGA was positively associated with maternal BMI (OR = 1.10, 95%CI:1.05–1.16, P < 0.001) but not GWG. SGA was associated with lower odds of excessive GWG (OR = 0.24, 95%CI:0.07–0.79, P = 0.02) but was not associated with maternal BMI. Paternal body size was not associated with LGA or SGA. WFLz was positively associated with maternal BMI (β ± SE = 0.03 ± 0.09 P = 0.001), but not GWG, %GWGL, EPW, or paternal body size. However, WFLz was positively associated with GWG in mothers with low (<25) but not high (≥25) early pregnancy BMI (β ± SE interaction term = −0.004 ± 0.002, P = 0.04). Paternal body size did not modify associations of maternal with infant weight indicators. Conclusions Maternal BMI was consistently associated with birth size and infant adiposity development, and associations were not modified by paternal body size. Whether pre-pregnancy interventions are more effective than pregnancy interventions for reducing offspring overweight in women with high BMI is an important area of future investigation. Funding Sources This research was supported by the NICHD Intramural Research Program.