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Prepregnancy obesity is associated with cognitive outcomes in boys in a low-income, multiethnic birth cohort

Elizabeth M Widen1,2, Amy R Nichols3,4, Linda G Kahn5

  • 1Department of Nutritional Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, 103 W 24TH ST A2703, Austin, TX, 78712, USA. Elizabeth.widen@austin.utexas.edu.

BMC Pediatrics
|December 22, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Maternal obesity before pregnancy is linked to lower IQ in 7-year-old boys, but not girls. Gestational weight gain did not impact child IQ in this study. These findings highlight the importance of maternal weight management for child neurodevelopment.

Area of Science:

  • Maternal and child health
  • Neurodevelopmental research
  • Public health and epidemiology

Background:

  • Maternal obesity and excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) disproportionately affect low-income populations.
  • These factors may be associated with child neurodevelopment in a sex-specific manner.
  • Understanding these associations is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine sex-specific associations between prepregnancy body mass index (BMI), GWG, and child neurodevelopment at age 7.
  • To investigate the impact of maternal overweight and obesity on cognitive outcomes in offspring.
  • To determine if GWG influences child IQ in a sex-specific manner.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective cohort study of 368 low-income African American and Dominican women.
  • Child neurodevelopment assessed using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV) at age 7.
  • Linear regression models adjusted for multiple covariates to estimate associations.

Main Results:

  • Mothers who were overweight or obese pre-pregnancy had children with lower full-scale IQ scores at age 7, specifically among boys.
  • Prepregnancy overweight was associated with a -7.1 lower IQ (95% CI: -12.1, -2.0) and obesity with a -5.7 lower IQ (95% CI: -10.7, -0.7) in boys.
  • Gestational weight gain (GWG) was not significantly associated with full-scale IQ in either sex.

Conclusions:

  • Prepregnancy overweight and obesity are associated with reduced IQ in 7-year-old boys, but not girls.
  • These findings underscore the significance of maternal pre-pregnancy weight status for long-term child cognitive development.
  • The study highlights the need to address maternal obesity in low-income populations to mitigate potential neurodevelopmental risks.
Abstract

Keywords:
Body mass indexChildCognitionObesityOverweightPregnancyProspective studiesWechsler scales

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