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Maternal lipids in pregnancy are associated with increased offspring cortisol reactivity in childhood

Theresia H Mina1, Marius Lahti2, Amanda J Drake3

  • 1University/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, Scotland, UK; Tommy's Centre for Maternal and Fetal Health, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, Scotland, UK.

Psychoneuroendocrinology
|June 10, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Maternal lipid levels during pregnancy, specifically higher triglycerides and total cholesterol, are linked to altered hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity in children. This suggests lipids may program offspring HPA axis function in utero.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Background:

  • Prenatal programming influences long-term offspring health via the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.
  • The specific biological mechanisms, particularly maternal metabolic factors, driving this programming remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether altered maternal metabolism during pregnancy, including obesity and lipid profiles, serves as a programming factor for offspring HPA axis activity.
  • To examine the association between maternal metabolic markers and children's HPA axis responses.

Main Methods:

  • Salivary cortisol levels were measured in 54 children aged 3-5 years during a delay of self-gratification test.
  • Associations were analyzed between child cortisol responses and maternal factors: obesity, fasting glucose, triglycerides, HDL, and total cholesterol across pregnancy trimesters.

Main Results:

  • Higher maternal triglycerides and total cholesterol throughout pregnancy were significantly associated with increased offspring cortisol reactivity.
  • These associations persisted independently of maternal obesity and other potential confounders.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal lipid exposure in utero may be a key biological mechanism for programming offspring HPA axis activity.
  • Altered maternal lipid metabolism during pregnancy can impact the development of the child's stress response system.

Keywords:
ChildCortisolGlucoseLipidObesityPrenatal

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