Infant Arterial Stiffness and Maternal Iron Status in Pregnancy: A UK Birth Cohort (Baby VIP Study)
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Published on: May 10, 2022
Nisreen A Alwan1, Janet E Cade, Harry J McArdle
1Nutritional Epidemiology Group, School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
Insights
Maternal iron status in early pregnancy was not associated with infant arterial stiffness. However, maternal anemia was linked to increased infant pulse wave velocity (PWV), a marker of cardiovascular health.
Area of Science:
- Perinatal health
- Cardiovascular health
- Nutritional science
Background:
- Maternal iron deficiency in animal models correlates with offspring cardiovascular risks.
- Population studies on early-life arterial stiffness and maternal iron status are lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between maternal iron status during early pregnancy and infant brachio-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV).
Main Methods:
- The Baby VIP study recruited 362 UK women post-delivery.
- Maternal serum ferritin and transferrin receptor levels were measured from first-trimester samples.
- Infant brachio-femoral PWV was assessed at 2-6 weeks postpartum.
Main Results:
- No association was found between maternal ferritin or iron depletion and infant PWV.
- Maternal anemia (Hb <11 g/dL) before 20 weeks gestation was linked to a 1.0 m/s increase in infant PWV.
- No association observed between maternal transferrin receptor levels and infant PWV.
Conclusions:
- This study is the largest to assess peripheral PWV for infant arterial stiffness.
- No evidence links early pregnancy maternal iron status markers to infant arterial stiffness (PWV).
- Maternal anemia presents a potential risk factor for infant arterial stiffness.
Background:
In animal studies, iron deficiency during pregnancy has been linked to increased offspring cardiovascular risk. No previous population studies have measured arterial stiffness early in life to examine its association with maternal iron status.
Objective:
This study aimed to examine the association between maternal iron status in early pregnancy with infant brachio-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV).
Methods:
The Baby VIP (Baby's Vascular Health and Iron in Pregnancy) study is a UK-based birth cohort which recruited 362 women after delivery from the Leeds Teaching Hospitals postnatal wards. Ferritin and transferrin receptor levels were measured in maternal serum samples previously obtained in the first trimester. Infant brachio-femoral PWV was measured during a home visit at 2-6 weeks.
Results:
Iron depletion (ferritin <15 microg/l) was detected in 79 (23%) women in early pregnancy. Infant PWV (mean = 6.7 m/s, SD = 1.3, n = 284) was neither associated with maternal ferritin (adjusted change per 10 microg/l = 0.02, 95% CI: -0.01, 0.1), nor with iron depletion (adjusted change = -0.2, 95% CI: -0.6, 0.2). No evidence of association was observed between maternal serum transferrin receptor level and its ratio to ferritin with infant PWV. Maternal anaemia (<11 g/dl) at ≤20 weeks' gestation was associated with a 1.0-m/s increase in infant PWV (adjusted 95% CI: 0.1, 1.9).
Conclusion:
This is the largest study to date which has assessed peripheral PWV as a measure of arterial stiffness in infants. There was no evidence of an association between markers of maternal iron status early in pregnancy and infant PWV.
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