High birth weight and obesity--a vicious circle across generations

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Pediatrics
• Public Health

Background:

• Rising rates of high birth weight infants, overweight, and obese children and adults highlight a growing public health concern.
• Intergenerational transmission of obesity is suggested by associations between birth weight and adult weight.
• Understanding these associations is crucial for addressing the obesity epidemic across generations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between mothers' birth weight for gestational age and their adult body mass index (BMI).
• To investigate the joint effect of maternal birth weight and BMI on the risk of having a large-for-gestational-age (LGA) offspring.
• To inform strategies for preventing intergenerational obesity.

Main Methods:

• A nationwide cohort study in Sweden (1973-2006) included 162,676 mothers and their first-born offspring.
• Maternal birth weight for gestational age and offspring birth status were recorded.
• Statistical analyses, including odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), were used to assess risks.

Main Results:

• Mothers born large-for-gestational-age (LGA) had significantly increased risks of adult overweight and obesity (ORs ranging from 1.50 to 2.77).
• The risk of having an LGA offspring increased with maternal BMI, particularly in women with high birth weight for gestational age.
• The strongest increase in LGA offspring risk was observed among mothers born small-for-gestational-age (SGA) with high BMI (OR=13).

Conclusions:

• Prenatal conditions significantly influence the intergenerational cycle of obesity.
• Preventing LGA births is a potential strategy to mitigate the ongoing obesity epidemic.
• Early life interventions targeting birth weight and maternal BMI may be critical for breaking the cycle.