Maternal Body Mass Index In Early Pregnancy Research Articles

Maternal and infant factors associated with neonatal adiposity: Results from the Tasmanian Infant Health Survey (TIHS)

To examine the maternal and neonatal factors associated with offspring adiposity and the role of birth and placental weight as potential mediators in such associations. The Tasmanian Infant Health Survey was a prospective cohort study conducted between 1988 and 1995 in Australia to investigate the cause of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. This large infant cohort provides measurement of skinfolds on 7945 mothers and their offspring. Participants included singletons born ≥37 weeks gestation who were at high risk of sudden infant death syndrome identified through a composite score that included birth weight, maternal age, neonatal gender, season of birth, duration of second-stage labor and intention to breastfeed. Neonatal adiposity was assessed from skinfold measurements of the subscapular (SSF) and triceps folds (TSF) taken at birth. Maternal early-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) was calculated from self-reported height and weight. Neonatal data were extracted from birth records. Data relating to other environmental exposures were obtained from questionnaires administered when neonates were ∼4-days old. In multivariable models, higher maternal adiposity, increasing maternal age, gestation age, delivery by Caesarian section and female gender were associated with larger SSF independent of placental and birth weight (P<0.001). Maternal age and delivery by Caesarian section were significantly associated with larger TSF, whereas gestational age and male gender were associated with thinner TSF independent of placental and birth weight. Higher early-pregnancy BMI, maternal weight gain, maternal age, parity and gestational age were significantly associated with larger placental and birth weight. Smoking during pregnancy was associated with smaller birth weight but not with placental weight. In addition to birth weight, maternal adiposity and placental weight were important additional factors associated with neonatal adiposity.

Association of Maternal Diabetes Mellitus in Pregnancy With Offspring Adiposity Into Early Adulthood

Background— Maternal diabetes mellitus in pregnancy results in greater offspring adiposity at birth. It is unclear whether it is associated with greater adiposity into adulthood, and if so, whether this is via intrauterine mechanisms or shared familial characteristics. Methods and Results— A record-linkage prospective cohort study of 280 866 singleton-born Swedish men from 248 293 families was used to explore the intrauterine effect of maternal diabetes mellitus on offspring body mass index (BMI) in early adulthood. Maternal diabetes mellitus during pregnancy was associated with greater mean BMI at age 18 in their sons. The difference in BMI was similar within brothers and between nonsiblings. BMI of men whose mothers had diabetes mellitus during their pregnancy was on average 0.94 kg/m 2 greater (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.35 to 1.52) than in their brothers born before their mother was diagnosed with diabetes, after adjustment for birth year, maternal age, parity and education, birth weight, gestational age, and age at assessment of BMI. Early-pregnancy BMI was positively associated with son's BMI between nonsiblings, but there was no association within brothers. Adjustment of the maternal diabetes–offspring BMI association for maternal BMI did not alter the association either within brothers or between nonsiblings. Results were also robust to sensitivity analyses restricting the within-sibling analyses to siblings born within 3 years of each other. Conclusion— Maternal diabetes mellitus has long-term consequences for greater BMI in offspring; this association is likely to be via intrauterine mechanisms, and is independent of maternal BMI in early pregnancy.

OC14.07: Maternal obesity is a potential source of error in mid-trimester ultrasound estimation of gestational age

To study in a large population the discrepancy between estimated date of delivery according to last menstrual period (EDD-LMP) and according to ultrasound (EDD-U), and to investigate the possible association with maternal obesity expressed as high body mass index (BMI). The Swedish Medical Birth Registry was used to identify 842,083 singleton pregnancies for which the EDD-LMP, EDD-U, and maternal BMI in early pregnancy were known. Odds ratios (OR) were adjusted for year of birth, maternal age, parity, and smoking. The date of delivery was postponed at least seven days(discrepancy EDD-LMP and EDD-U ⩽ − 7 days) in 25,2% of all pregnancies. There was a statistically significant association between maternal BMI and discrepancy between EDD-LMP and EDD-U. Among pregnant women with a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2, the risk of postponed EDD was significantly increased compared to women with BMI 20-24.9 kg/m2. In women with a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 the EDD was more often postponed ≥ 14 days (OR 1.51; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.46–1.56) or 7–13 days (OR 1.38; 95% CI 1.35–1.41). Similar risk was observed among women with BMI 25–29.9 kg/m2, but was less pronounced. High maternal BMI increases the risk for postponing date of delivery at mid-trimester ultrasound examination. The estimation of gestational age in obese women as shorter than according to the LMP, might be due to erroneous sonographic measurements.

Maternal leptin receptor gene variant Gln223Arg is not associated with variation in birth weight or maternal body mass index in UK and South Asian populations

Leptin is an adipocyte secreted hormone involved in regulation of body weight and metabolism in man. Placenta leptin levels correlate positively with birth weight. It is therefore possible that variation in the leptin receptor gene (LEPR) may contribute to obesity and influence birth weight. This study investigates the influence of the leptin receptor gene variant Gln223Arg (A-->G, 668), on maternal body mass index (BMI), foetal gestational length and birth weight in a cohort of 455 healthy pregnant women of Asian Indian (India, Bangladesh, Pakistan) and UK/Irish origin. Maternal genotype distributions did not differ from those expected under Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium conditions in either population of origin. Maternal genotype for the Gln223Arg leptin receptor gene polymorphism showed no significant association with foetal birth weight (adjusted for gestational length) or with maternal BMI during first trimester (adjusted for age) in either population group. These results suggest that the Gln223Arg variant in the maternal leptin receptor gene does not explain the association between placental leptin levels and birth weight, and is not associated with variation in maternal BMI in early pregnancy in our sample.

Observational study of maternal anthropometry and fetal insulin

AIMSTo examine the relation between maternal body fat and fetal metabolism.METHODSIn this observational study, cord blood samples were collected from 60 infants of healthy women for the measurement of insulin...