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The relationship between maternal adiposity and infant weight gain, and childhood wheeze and atopy

Katharine C Pike1, Hazel M Inskip, Sian M Robinson

  • 1Clinical and Experimental Sciences Academic Unit, University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine, Southampton, UK.

Thorax
|January 8, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Maternal obesity is linked to transient wheeze in children, not asthma. This suggests maternal adiposity impacts airway function, not allergic development, in offspring.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric respiratory health
  • Maternal-fetal health
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Rising rates of obesity and asthma in Westernized countries suggest a potential link between maternal obesity and childhood asthma.
  • Investigating the mediating factors, such as fetal development, pregnancy complications, and infant adiposity, is crucial to understand this relationship.
  • This study examines the association between maternal body mass index (BMI) and fat mass with childhood wheeze, considering infant weight gain and childhood obesity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and fat mass with childhood wheeze.
  • To explore the influence of infant adiposity gain and childhood obesity on this association.
  • To determine if maternal adiposity affects asthma, atopy, or lung function in children.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from 940 children, relating maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and estimated fat mass to asthma, wheeze, and atopy.
  • Classified wheeze phenotypes (transient vs. persistent/late) using longitudinal questionnaire data from birth to 6 years.
  • Assessed childhood lung function and atopy at age 6 through skin-prick testing, exhaled nitric oxide measurements, and spirometry.

Main Results:

  • Increased maternal BMI and fat mass were significantly associated with higher risks of childhood wheeze, particularly transient wheeze.
  • No significant association was found between maternal adiposity and persistent wheeze, asthma, or atopy.
  • Adjusting for infant adiposity gain or later childhood BMI did not alter the link between maternal adiposity and transient wheeze.

Conclusions:

  • Greater maternal adiposity is associated with an increased risk of transient wheeze in children.
  • The findings suggest maternal adiposity influences airway structure or function rather than allergic predisposition.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the association between maternal obesity and childhood wheeze.
Abstract

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