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Maternal weight, gestational weight gain and preschool wheezing: the Generation R Study

Elisabeth T M Leermakers1, Agnes M M Sonnenschein-van der Voort, Romy Gaillard

  • 1Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam.

The European Respiratory Journal
|March 9, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Maternal obesity and excessive gestational weight gain increase preschool wheezing risk in children, particularly if the mother has asthma or atopy. These risks are not explained by child growth, infections, or eczema.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Obstetrics
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG) are potential risk factors for childhood respiratory illnesses.
  • Understanding the mechanisms linking maternal factors to offspring wheezing is crucial for prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and GWG with preschool wheezing in offspring.
  • To explore the mediating roles of child growth, infections, and atopy in these associations.

Main Methods:

  • Substudy of 4656 children within a population-based birth cohort.
  • Data collected via physical measurements and questionnaires on maternal BMI, GWG, and offspring wheezing (ages 1-4 years).
  • Statistical analysis to determine odds ratios (OR) and confidence intervals (CI) for wheezing risk.

Main Results:

  • Maternal pre-pregnancy obesity was linked to increased preschool wheezing risk (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.12-1.95) in mothers with a history of asthma or atopy.
  • Each standard deviation increase in GWG was associated with increased wheezing risk (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.04-1.14), independent of maternal pre-pregnancy BMI.
  • These associations were not significantly modified by child's growth, respiratory infections, or eczema.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal pre-pregnancy obesity (in mothers with asthma/atopy history) and higher GWG are associated with increased offspring risk of preschool wheezing.
  • The observed associations were not explained by growth, infectious, or atopic pathways.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and long-term implications.

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