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Gestational sleep deprivation is associated with higher offspring body mass index and blood pressure

Margreet W Harskamp-van Ginkel1,2, Despo Ierodiakonou3, Katerina Margetaki3,4

  • 1Department of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Sleep
|June 5, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Gestational sleep deprivation is linked to increased childhood adiposity and higher blood pressure in offspring. This highlights the importance of maternal sleep for child metabolic health.

Area of Science:

  • Reproductive Health
  • Pediatric Health
  • Metabolic Health

Background:

  • Maternal sleep patterns during pregnancy can influence offspring development.
  • Childhood adiposity and cardiometabolic risk factors are significant public health concerns.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between sleep deprivation during pregnancy and childhood adiposity.
  • To evaluate the impact of gestational sleep deprivation on the cardiometabolic profile of children.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from two large birth cohorts (Rhea and ABCD studies) with 3,608 mother-child pairs.
  • Defined gestational sleep deprivation as ≤6 hours of sleep per night via questionnaire.
  • Assessed childhood outcomes including BMI, waist circumference, body fat, blood pressure, and serum lipids up to age 11.

Main Results:

  • Gestational sleep deprivation correlated with higher childhood BMI, waist circumference, and increased risk of overweight/obesity.
  • Offspring of mothers with sleep deprivation exhibited higher diastolic blood pressure.
  • Associations were stronger in girls and partly mediated by gestational diabetes and shorter gestational age.

Conclusions:

  • This study provides novel evidence linking maternal sleep deprivation to increased offspring adiposity and blood pressure.
  • Highlights the need for attention to glucose metabolism and preterm birth risk in mothers experiencing sleep deprivation.
  • Suggests potential mechanisms involving gestational diabetes and gestational age in mediating these effects.
Abstract

Keywords:
BMIDOHaDadiposityblood pressurechildgestational sleep deprivationobesity

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