Abstract
Maternal body composition, gestational weight gain (GWG) and diet quality influence offspring obesity risk. While the gut microbiome is thought to play a crucial role, it is understudied in pregnancy. Using a longitudinal pregnancy cohort, maternal anthropometrics, body composition, fecal microbiome and dietary intake were assessed at 12, 24 and 36 weeks of gestation. Fecal samples (n = 101, 98 and 107, at each trimester, respectively) were utilized for microbiome analysis via 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Data analysis included alpha- and beta-diversity measures and assessment of compositional changes using MaAsLin2. Correlation analyses of serum metabolic and anthropometric markers were performed against bacterial abundance and predicted functional pathways. α-diversity was unaltered by pregnancy stage or maternal obesity status. Actinobacteria, Lachnospiraceae, Akkermansia, Bifidobacterium, Streptococcus and Anaerotuncus abundances were associated with gestation stage. Maternal obesity status was associated with increased abundance of Lachnospiraceae, Bilophila, Dialister and Roseburia. Maternal BMI, fat mass, triglyceride and insulin levels were positively associated with Bilophila. Correlations of bacterial abundance with diet intake showed that Ruminococcus and Paraprevotella were associated with total fat and unsaturated fatty acid intake, while Collinsella and Anaerostipes were associated with protein intake. While causal relationships remain unclear, collectively, these findings indicate pregnancy- and maternal obesity-dependent interactions between dietary factors and the maternal gut microbiome.
Highlights
Maternal obesity prior to pregnancy is a leading risk factor for greater life-time risk of obesity in children [1]
We investigated the effects of pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) by comparing women entering pregnancy at a normal weight (NW: BMI 18.5–24.9 kg/m2) compared to overweight/obese (OW/OB: BMI >25 kg/m2), and excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) in pregnancy, controlling for maternal obesity status
The analyses included 140 pregnant women grouped by early pregnancy BMI into either NW (n = 60) or OW/OB (n = 80) groups (Table 1)
Summary
Maternal obesity prior to pregnancy is a leading risk factor for greater life-time risk of obesity in children [1]. Women entering pregnancy with obesity are at greater risk for negative obstetric and perinatal outcomes, and there is greater likelihood of their offspring being large-at-birth and developing obesity later in life [2,3]. While robust associative evidence between maternal obesity, excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) and offspring obesity risk exists [7], recent evidence has suggested that the mother’s diet quality can impact offspring adiposity [8]. Clinical studies to support and understand the mechanisms via which maternal dietary composition impacts offspring obesity risk remain sparse. Studies are needed to clarify whether pregnancy alters the maternal gut microbiome and whether these changes are influenced by maternal health and dietary composition. Our results suggest that microbial composition is altered by pregnancy status, pre-pregnancy BMI and intake of dietary fats
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
