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Maternal obesity and attention-related symptoms in the preterm offspring

Jelske W van der Burg1, Elizabeth T Jensen2, Margot van de Bor1

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

Early Human Development
|August 21, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Maternal pre-pregnancy obesity increases attention problems risk in extremely preterm children. This study found parents identified more ADHD behaviors in children whose mothers were overweight or obese before pregnancy.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal care
  • Developmental pediatrics
  • Maternal health

Background:

  • Maternal pre-pregnancy obesity is linked to attention problems in term-born children.
  • This association has not been previously studied in extremely preterm infants.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the risk of attention problems at age 10 years in extremely preterm children born to overweight or obese mothers.
  • To compare this risk against children born to mothers with a normal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI).

Main Methods:

  • A multi-center prospective cohort study included 764 extremely preterm children (born <28 weeks gestation).
  • Maternal pre-pregnancy BMI was recorded at birth.
  • Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms were assessed at age 10 years using parent and teacher questionnaires (Child Symptom Inventory-4).

Main Results:

  • Children born to overweight mothers had an increased risk of parent-identified ADHD behaviors (OR=1.9; 95% CI: 1.1, 3.3).
  • Children born to obese mothers also showed an increased risk of parent-identified ADHD behaviors (OR=2.3; 95% CI: 1.4, 3.9).
  • No increased risk of teacher-identified ADHD characteristics was found for children of overweight or obese mothers.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal overweight and obesity before pregnancy are associated with a higher risk of parent-reported ADHD characteristics in extremely preterm children at 10 years of age.
  • These findings highlight the importance of maternal pre-pregnancy weight in the neurodevelopmental outcomes of extremely preterm infants.
Abstract

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