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Maternal pre-pregnancy obesity and childhood physical and cognitive development of children: a systematic review

A A Adane1, G D Mishra1, L R Tooth1

  • 1School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences,the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

International Journal of Obesity (2005)
|August 17, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Maternal obesity may negatively impact children's cognitive development. Evidence for effects on physical development is limited, requiring further research to clarify causal links and confounding factors.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health
  • Developmental Psychology

Background:

  • Maternal obesity is a significant public health issue linked to adverse birth outcomes.
  • Emerging research on maternal obesity's impact on child development shows inconsistent findings.
  • Systematic review needed to clarify the association between maternal obesity and child development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review existing evidence on the role of maternal obesity in children's physical and cognitive development.
  • To synthesize findings from studies examining maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index and child outcomes.
  • To identify gaps in the current research landscape.

Main Methods:

  • Searched CINAHL, EMBASE, PSYCINFO, PUBMED, and SCOPUS databases.
  • Included studies focusing on children (≤12 years) with physical/cognitive development outcomes and maternal pre-pregnancy BMI as exposure.
  • Two independent reviewers extracted and evaluated data quality.

Main Results:

  • 17 articles were included; 10 were US-based birth cohorts.
  • Nine of 14 studies indicated an adverse association between maternal obesity and cognitive development.
  • Some studies showed negative associations with gross motor function, but not fine motor function.

Conclusions:

  • Intrauterine exposure to maternal pre-pregnancy obesity appears detrimental to children's cognitive development.
  • Evidence regarding maternal obesity's impact on physical development is insufficient for conclusions.
  • Further research is necessary to distinguish intrauterine effects from confounding factors.
Abstract

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