The early development of offspring born to women with polycystic ovary syndrome: Insights from a prospective birth cohort study in Southwestern China

Abstract

PurposeThis prospective cohort study aimed to investigate the effect of maternal polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) on the offspring early development. MethodsA total of 91 mother-child pairs, consisting of 33 PCOS and 58 non-PCOS, were recruited. Peripheral blood tests were performed during 12–16, 24–28, and 32–36 weeks of gestation. Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) were utilized to assess the motor development of offspring at 27 months of age. Logistic regression models were employed to compare groups and control confounding variables. ResultsWomen with PCOS had a higher level of testosterone and free androgen index than the non-PCOS group in all three detection windows. There were no intergroup differences in any of the five domains of specific ASQ domain scores or the body measurements of the offspring at 27 months old. Stratification by sex of offspring suggested that no significant differences were detected in the male offspring. However, in the female offspring, the PCOS group exhibited lower gross motor scores in female offspring than the non-PCOS group (48.1 ± 11.8 vs. 55.2 ± 8.1, P = 0.027), as well as lower fine motor scores (48.5 ± 8.5 vs. 53.6 ± 11.0, P = 0.028). The gross motor score of female offspring in the PCOS group remained lower even after adjustments. Each 1 ng/mL increase in testosterone at 12–16 weeks of gestation was associated with a decrease in gross motor score of female offspring by 12.2 (95% CI = −23.3 to −1.0, P = 0.038). The highest tertile of testosterone at 12–16 weeks of gestation was associated with a 7.75-point decrease in gross motor score of female offspring compared to the lowest tertile of testosterone (95% CI = −14.9 to −0.6, P = 0.040), with a significant linear trend observed (P for trend = 0.031). ConclusionsThe findings of this study suggest that maternal PCOS could exert a negative influence on the gross motor development of female offspring, potentially associated with intrauterine androgen exposure during the early stages of pregnancy.