Influence of maternal and placental factors on newborn body composition

The objective of this study was to assess whether maternal characteristics, placental size or histological chorioamnionitis was associated with newborn body composition. Furthermore, we sought to determine whether placental weight may mediate the association between maternal pre-pregnancy weight and age with newborn body composition.

A cross-sectional study was conducted at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia. This study included 136 healthy, singleton, term-born newborns. Recruitment was stratified by newborn body fat percentiles (gender and gestational adjusted). Body fat was assessed by air displacement plethysmography. Placental examination was conducted by an anatomical pathologist. Maternal (chorioamnionitis) and fetal (chorionic and umbilical vasculitis, funisitis) inflammatory responses were classified according to Redline criteria.

Maternal pre-pregnancy weight, parity, labour, placental weight and surface area were associated with newborn fat mass and fat-free mass. Gestational diabetes and maternal age were associated with newborn fat mass but not fat-free mass. There was no association between histological chorioamnionitis and newborn body composition; however, spontaneous onset of labour was strongly associated with the presence of histological chorioamnionitis. Only 25-31% of the association of maternal weight and age with newborn fat mass was mediated via the placenta.

Maternal factors associated with newborn fat mass and fat-free mass differed, indicating that different mechanisms control fat mass and fat-free mass. Our mediation analysis suggests that placental weight partly mediates the association of maternal factors with newborn body composition. Histological chorioamnionitis was not associated with newborn body composition.