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Cesarean delivery and the long-term risk of offspring obesity

Abdullah A Mamun1, Ratneswary Sutharsan, Michael O'Callaghan

  • 1Schools of Population Health and Medicine, University of Queensland, Eskitis Institute, Griffith University, Mater Children's Hospital, Mater Health Services, and Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia.

Obstetrics and Gynecology
|November 9, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Cesarean delivery was not associated with increased risk of offspring obesity by age 21. This large Australian birth cohort study found no link between delivery mode and long-term weight status in children.

Area of Science:

  • Reproductive health
  • Pediatric health
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Mode of delivery is a significant factor in birth outcomes.
  • Long-term health implications, including obesity, are increasingly linked to early life exposures.
  • Understanding the relationship between delivery mode and offspring obesity is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between mode of delivery and offspring obesity risk up to 21 years of age.
  • To analyze data from a large, community-based Australian birth cohort.
  • To determine if cesarean delivery influences long-term body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference.

Main Methods:

  • A subsample of 2,625 offspring from the Mater Hospital birth cohort (1981-1983) was followed up.
  • Physical assessments, including height and weight at age 21, were measured.
  • Multivariable regression analysis examined associations between mode of delivery and offspring BMI and waist circumference.

Main Results:

  • Cesarean delivery occurred in 12.1% of the cohort.
  • Maternal and birth factors like maternal age, pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity, and hypertensive disorders were associated with delivery mode.
  • No significant association was found between mode of delivery and offspring overweight, obesity, BMI, or waist circumference at age 21.

Conclusions:

  • This study's findings do not support a link between cesarean delivery and increased risk of long-term offspring obesity.
  • The mode of delivery does not appear to be a predictor of adult obesity in this cohort.
  • Further research may explore other contributing factors to offspring obesity.
Abstract

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