Abstract
Hypertensive disorders during pregnancy (HDP) increase the risk of offspring with a low birth weight, preterm birth and small-for-gestational age; however, evidence of the anthropometric measurements during early childhood remains limited. We aimed to understand the associations between maternal HDP and anthropometric measurements of children aged up to seven years in a Japanese cohort. In total, 20,926 mother–infant pairs participated in the Hokkaido Study on Environment and Children’s Health, Japan, from 2002 to 2013. Medical reports were used to confirm HDP exposure, while weight, height, height z score, and weight z score were the outcomes. The prevalence of HDP in the study population was 1.7%. The birth height of male children born to HDP mothers was smaller as compared to those born to non-HDP mothers. When adjusted with covariates, the linear regressions showed significant changes in birth weight (β: −79.3; 95% confidence interval [CI]: −154.8, −3.8), birth height (−0.67; 95% CI: −1.07, −0.26), weight at seven years (1.21; 95% CI: 0.13, 2.29), and weight gain between four and seven years (1.12; 95% CI: 0.28, 1.96) of male children exposed to HDP. Differences were more significant in male children than female. Our study showed that despite low birth weight, male children exposed to HDP caught up with their growth and gained more weight by seven years of age compared with male children not exposed to HDP, whereas no such differences were observed in female children; however, this finding requires replication.
Highlights
IntroductionHypertensive disorders during pregnancy (HDP) has been classified into four types: preeclampsia, gestational hypertension, superimposed preeclampsia, and chronic hypertension, excluding eclampsia in the previous disease type classification [1,2]
Hypertensive disorders during pregnancy (HDP) are defined as hypertension with or without proteinuria (≥300 mg/24 h), emerging after20 weeks of gestation
There was no significant difference between sex, preterm birth, small for gestational age, and birth weight and height among children born from HDP
Summary
HDP has been classified into four types: preeclampsia, gestational hypertension, superimposed preeclampsia, and chronic hypertension, excluding eclampsia in the previous disease type classification [1,2]. Several studies have shown the impact of HDP on birth outcomes, such as preterm birth and small-for-gestational age, and these infants have a higher need for intensive care units [3,4,5,6]. HDP, including preeclampsia and the hemolytic anemia, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count (HELLP) syndrome, increase the risk and severity of fetal growth restriction even after birth [7,8]. HDP is associated with a low birth weight, which is reported to predispose to central obesity, including 4.0/).
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