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Maternal Testosterone Concentrations in Third Trimester and Offspring Handgrip Strength at 5 Years: Odense Child
Malene Dybdahl1,2, Christine Dalgård3, Dorte Glintborg4
1Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense C, Denmark.
Insights
Maternal free testosterone (FT) in pregnancy may negatively impact offspring muscle strength. Higher third-trimester FT levels were linked to lower handgrip strength (HGS) in 5-year-old children.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Developmental Biology
- Pediatric Health
Background:
- Maternal hormone levels during pregnancy can influence fetal development.
- Testosterone is a key hormone with potential organizational effects on offspring development.
- The impact of maternal testosterone on offspring muscle development requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between maternal testosterone concentrations in the third trimester of pregnancy and offspring handgrip strength (HGS) at 5 years of age.
Main Methods:
- A prospective, population-based study of 1017 mother-child pairs from the Odense Child Cohort.
- Measurement of maternal total testosterone (TT) and calculation of free testosterone (FT) at gestational week 27-28.
- Assessment of offspring HGS at 5 years, with multivariable regression analyses performed.
Main Results:
- Higher third-trimester maternal free testosterone (FT) concentrations were inversely associated with offspring handgrip strength (HGS) at 5 years (β = -0.186, P = 0.048).
- Elevated FT levels were linked to an increased risk of low HGS (below the 10th percentile) in offspring.
- No significant association was found between offspring HGS and maternal total testosterone (TT) or sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels.
Conclusions:
- Third-trimester maternal FT shows an inverse association with offspring muscle strength, assessed by HGS at 5 years.
- These findings suggest a potential negative influence of maternal FT on the development of offspring muscle strength.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms underlying this observed association.
Background:
Maternal testosterone in pregnancy may have conditioning effects on offspring muscle strength.
Purpose:
To investigate possible associations between maternal testosterone concentrations in third trimester and offspring handgrip strength (HGS) at 5 years.
Methods:
In the prospective, population-based Odense Child Cohort, total testosterone (TT) at gestational week 27-28 and 5-year HGS were measured in 1017 mother-child pairs. TT was measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and free testosterone (FT) was calculated from TT and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). Multivariable regression analyses were performed with HGS < 10th percentile as cutoff for low HGS.
Results:
Third-trimester FT concentration was 0.004 (0.002-0.007) nmol/L, geometric mean (mean - SD; mean + SD). The mean (SD) 5-year HGS was 8.7 (1.8) kg in boys and 8.1 (1.7) kg in girls (P < 0.001). Higher FT concentrations were associated with lower HGS (β = -0.186, P = 0.048), after adjustment for maternal age, parity, offspring sex, and 5-year height and weight. FT > 0.004 nmol/L was associated with higher risk of 5-year HGS < 10th percentile with odds ratios (95% CI) of 1.58 (1.01, 2.47; P = 0.047; n = 1,017) and 1.69 (1.05, 2.74; P = 0.032) after further adjustment for children's organized sports in subgroup analysis (n = 848). Lower HGS in relation to higher FT concentrations was found in all linear models but was not always statistically significant. HGS was not associated with maternal TT and SHBG levels.
Conclusion:
Third trimester FT was inversely associated with offspring muscle strength assessed by HGS at 5 years of age, which may suggest a negative effect of maternal FT on offspring muscle strength.
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