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Maternal obesity and development of the preterm newborn at 2 years

Jelske W van der Burg1,2, Elizabeth N Allred3, Karl Kuban4

  • 1Health and Life Sciences, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|May 19, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Maternal obesity increases the risk of adverse neurodevelopment in extremely preterm infants. This risk is linked to specific developmental outcomes, even after accounting for prematurity and inflammation.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal development
  • Maternal health
  • Pediatric neurology

Background:

  • Extremely preterm infants face significant risks for developmental delays.
  • Maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) is a potential factor influencing infant neurodevelopment.
  • Understanding these risks is crucial for early intervention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between maternal overweight or obesity and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in extremely preterm children at 2 years corrected age.
  • To assess the impact of maternal BMI on cognitive and motor development using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II.

Main Methods:

  • A multicenter prospective cohort study included 852 extremely preterm infants (<28 weeks gestational age).
  • Maternal pre-pregnancy height and weight were collected to calculate BMI.
  • Multinomial logistic regression models were used to analyze the association between maternal BMI categories and infant neurodevelopmental indices.

Main Results:

  • Newborns of obese mothers (BMI ≥30) showed a significantly increased likelihood of impaired mental (OR=2.1) and motor (OR=1.7) development compared to those born to normal-BMI mothers.
  • The association between maternal obesity and impaired development was more pronounced in children without systemic inflammation (mental OR=4.6, motor OR=3.7).
  • Maternal overweight (BMI 25-29) was not significantly associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal obesity is a significant risk factor for impaired neurodevelopment in extremely preterm infants.
  • The observed developmental risks associated with maternal obesity persist even after controlling for factors like gestational age, prematurity, and neonatal systemic inflammation.
  • These findings highlight the importance of maternal pre-pregnancy weight management for optimizing offspring neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Abstract

Keywords:
BayleyMaternal obesityPrematurity

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