Abstract
BackgroundThe in-utero environment affects fetal development; it is vital to understand how maternal diet during pregnancy influences childhood body composition. While research indicates that triglycerides in hyperglycaemic women may increase birth weight, little is known about this relationship in euglycemic women. This study examines the relationship between maternal blood lipid status and infant adiposity up to 2 years of age.MethodsData from 331 mother-child pairs from the ROLO longitudinal birth cohort study was analysed. Maternal dietary intakes were recorded and fasting blood lipids, leptin and HOMA were measured in early and late pregnancy and cord blood. Infant anthropometric measurements and skin-fold thicknesses were recorded at birth, 6 months and 2 years. Correlation and regression analyses were used to explore associations between maternal blood lipid status and infant adiposity.ResultsAll maternal blood lipids increased significantly during pregnancy. Maternal dietary fat intake was positively associated with total cholesterol levels in early pregnancy. Late pregnancy triglycerides were positively associated with birth weight (P = 0.03) while cord blood triglycerides were negatively associated with birth weight (P = 0.01). Cord HDL-C was negatively associated with infant weight at 6 months (P = 0.005). No other maternal blood lipids were associated with infant weight or adiposity up to 2 years of age.ConclusionMaternal and fetal triglycerides were associated with birth weight and cord HDL-C with weight at 6 months. Thus, maternal lipid concentrations may exert in-utero influences on infant body composition. There may be potential to modulate infant body composition through alteration of maternal diet during pregnancy.
Highlights
Obesity in childhood has become prevalent worldwide with the World Health Organisation estimating that over 41 million children aged under 5 years are obese [1]
Late pregnancy triglycerides were positively associated with birth weight (P = 0.03) while cord blood triglycerides were negatively associated with birth weight (P = 0.01)
Maternal blood lipid concentrations in late pregnancy and in cord blood were associated with offspring anthropometry
Summary
Obesity in childhood has become prevalent worldwide with the World Health Organisation estimating that over 41 million children aged under 5 years are obese [1]. Obese children are at increased risk of adult obesity and are at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome [2]. With such high levels of childhood obesity, it is vital to understand the variables associated with it, the associations of maternal diet during pregnancy on the child’s body composition. The fetus is in a critical period of plasticity where it is influenced and moulded by the in-utero environment During this time, fetal programming and the maternal environment influence the child’s health and development from birth up to adulthood [4,5,6]. It is important to identify how specific elements of maternal nutrition interact with the child at birth and in later life to discover the dietary intakes that are associated with the best outcomes for both the mother and child
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