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Author Spotlight: Studying the Impact of Maternal Dietary Deficiencies on Long-Term Offspring Health Outcomes
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Author Spotlight: Studying the Impact of Maternal Dietary Deficiencies on Long-Term Offspring Health Outcomes

Published on: June 28, 2024

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Relationship Between Maternal Pre-pregnancy Weight and Offspring Weight Strengthens as Children Develop: A

Yuki Fujita1, Katsuyasu Kouda1, Harunobu Nakamura2

  • 1Department of Public Health, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine.

Journal of Epidemiology
|May 29, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) is linked to offspring BMI, particularly in adolescent females. This association strengthens with age, suggesting maternal lifestyle influences childhood weight development.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health
  • Human Growth and Development

Background:

  • Maternal pre-pregnancy weight is a known factor associated with offspring weight.
  • Maternal lifestyle factors may mediate the relationship between maternal weight and offspring weight.
  • Investigating the association between maternal body mass index (BMI) and offspring BMI across different developmental stages is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the relationship between maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and offspring BMI.
  • To assess how this association varies across different growth stages in offspring.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from 480 Japanese eighth graders and their mothers' pre-pregnancy anthropometric records.
  • Employed regression models to analyze the association between maternal BMI z-score and offspring BMI z-score.
  • Offspring BMI z-scores were analyzed at birth, 3 years, and 13 years.

Main Results:

  • Maternal BMI z-score showed a significant positive association with offspring BMI z-score in females at birth (β = 0.11), 3 years (β = 0.22), and 13 years (β = 0.51).
  • In males, an association was observed only at 13 years (β = 0.19), not at birth or 3 years.
  • The association between maternal BMI and offspring BMI was stronger in females at later ages, particularly around puberty.

Conclusions:

  • The positive association between maternal pre-pregnancy weight and offspring weight is more pronounced around puberty.
  • Maternal lifestyle factors during pregnancy may play a significant role in influencing offspring weight trajectories into adolescence.
Abstract

Keywords:
growthmaternal weightpediatric obesitypregnancy

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