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Impact of maternal physical activity and infant feeding practices on infant weight gain and adiposity

Lisa Chu1, Ravi Retnakaran, Bernard Zinman

  • 1The Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, Canada M5G 1X8.

International Journal of Endocrinology
|October 12, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Maternal physical activity and exclusive breastfeeding significantly impact infant weight gain and adiposity by age one. Higher maternal activity and longer breastfeeding duration are linked to reduced offspring weight.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health
  • Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Background:

  • Intrauterine exposures influence offspring obesity risk.
  • Limited research explores maternal and infant lifestyle factors in this context.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of maternal physical activity, infant feeding practices, and screen time on offspring weight gain and adiposity.
  • To identify key modifiable factors influencing early-life weight trajectories.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective cohort study of 246 mothers.
  • Assessment of maternal glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity during pregnancy.
  • Collection of anthropometric data and questionnaires on lifestyle factors (physical activity, infant feeding, screen time).
  • Multiple linear regression analysis to determine associations with infant weight outcomes at 1 year.

Main Results:

  • Maternal pregravid vigorous/sport index negatively predicted infant weight gain and weight-for-length z-score.
  • Exclusive breastfeeding duration showed a negative association with infant weight gain and weight-for-length z-score.
  • Each unit increase in maternal activity index reduced infant weight gain by 218.6g and z-score by 0.20.
  • Each month of exclusive breastfeeding reduced infant weight gain by 116.4g and z-score by 0.08.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal physical activity levels before and during pregnancy are associated with offspring adiposity at 1 year.
  • Duration of exclusive breastfeeding is a significant protective factor against early-onset infant weight gain and adiposity.
  • These modifiable maternal and infant factors play a crucial role in early-life obesity prevention.

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