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Maternal pre-pregnancy weight and externalising behaviour problems in preschool children: a UK-based twin study

Evangelia E Antoniou1, Tom Fowler2, Keith Reed3

  • 1Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.

BMJ Open
|October 16, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Maternal pre-pregnancy overweight is linked to a trend in increased aggressive behavior in children. Genetic and environmental factors significantly influence externalizing and internalizing child behavior problems.

Area of Science:

  • Behavioral genetics
  • Developmental psychology
  • Maternal health

Background:

  • Child behavior problems are influenced by a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors.
  • Maternal pre-pregnancy weight is a potential factor affecting child development and behavior.
  • Understanding these influences is crucial for early intervention and prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To estimate the heritability of child behavior problems.
  • To investigate the association between maternal pre-pregnancy overweight and child behavior problems using a genetically sensitive design.

Main Methods:

  • An observational, cross-sectional study utilizing data from the Twins and Multiple Births Association Heritability Study (TAMBAHS).
  • 443 mothers of twins completed questionnaires on pre-pregnancy weight and child behavior (internalizing and externalizing problems) via the Child Behavior Checklist.
  • Analyses controlled for covariates including gestational age, birth weight, child's age and sex, maternal education, and smoking status.

Main Results:

  • Genetic factors explained 46% of the variance in externalizing disorders, with common environment explaining 42% and non-shared environment 13%.
  • For internalizing problems, common environment explained 51% of the variance and non-shared environment explained 49%.
  • Children of overweight mothers showed a trend towards increased aggression and externalizing behaviors (OR=1.10).

Conclusions:

  • Both genetic and environmental factors significantly contribute to child behavior problems.
  • Maternal pre-pregnancy weight may be a contributing factor to aggressive and externalizing behaviors in children.
Abstract

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