Prepregnancy body mass index and gestational weight gain in relation to child body mass index among siblings

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Genetics
• Public Health

Background:

• Maternal weight gain during pregnancy is linked to childhood obesity.
• Previous studies often fail to account for shared genetic and environmental factors within families.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between maternal prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain on child BMI at age 4.
• To differentiate between in utero programming and shared familial influences on child BMI.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from 2,758 family groups in the Collaborative Perinatal Project.
• Employed generalized estimating equations and fixed-effects models to analyze maternal BMI, gestational weight gain, and child BMI z-scores.
• Fixed-effects models controlled for shared familial factors.

Main Results:

• Conventional models showed positive associations between maternal prepregnancy BMI, gestational weight gain, and child BMI z-score.
• Fixed-effects models revealed null associations, suggesting shared family characteristics explain the observed link.
• The association between gestational weight gain and child BMI may be attributed to genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors.

Conclusions:

• The apparent link between gestational weight gain and childhood BMI may be confounded by shared family characteristics.
• In utero programming might play a lesser role than previously thought.
• Further research is needed to elucidate the complex interplay of familial and environmental factors influencing child BMI and obesity.