Maternal prepregnancy BMI and child cognition: a longitudinal cohort study
Emre Basatemur1, Julian Gardiner, Carrie Williams
1General and Adolescent Paediatrics Unit, Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom. emre.basatemur@ucl.ac.uk
Pediatrics
|December 12, 2012
Summary
Maternal prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) is linked to lower child cognitive performance. This association strengthens with age, though the effect size remains modest.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Developmental Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Maternal prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) is a key health indicator.
- Understanding its impact on child development is crucial for early intervention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between maternal prepregnancy BMI and children's cognitive performance.
- To assess cognitive abilities at ages 5 and 7 years.
Main Methods:
- Secondary analysis of the Millennium Cohort Study (19,517 children).
- Cognitive assessments using British Ability Scales and a number skills test.
- Maternal prepregnancy BMI retrospectively self-reported; analyzed using mixed-effects linear regression models.
Main Results:
- A negative association was found between maternal prepregnancy BMI and children's cognitive performance (general cognitive ability factor 'g') at ages 5 and 7.
- A 10-point increase in maternal BMI correlated with a ~1/10th SD decrease in cognitive performance at age 7.
- The negative association became more pronounced at age 7 compared to age 5.
Conclusions:
- Maternal prepregnancy BMI negatively impacts children's cognitive development.
- This association persists after controlling for socio-demographic factors and child's BMI.
- Potential explanations include in utero fetal programming or residual confounding factors.
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