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Infant lung function and maternal physical activity in the first half of pregnancy
Hrefna Katrín Gudmundsdóttir1,2, Oda C L Carlsen2, Karen Eline Stensby Bains1,2
1Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Insights
Maternal physical activity (PA) in early pregnancy is linked to infant lung function. Infants born to inactive mothers had higher odds of poorer lung function at three months old.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric pulmonology
- Maternal health
- Developmental origins of health and disease
Background:
- Physical activity during pregnancy is crucial for maternal and potential infant health.
- Early life factors significantly influence the development of lung function.
- Investigating the impact of prenatal exposures on infant respiratory health is vital.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between maternal physical activity in the first half of pregnancy and lung function in 3-month-old infants.
- To understand the early origins of lung function in relation to maternal lifestyle choices.
- To identify potential modifiable factors during pregnancy that could impact infant respiratory outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A population-based birth cohort study including 812 infants with available tidal flow-volume measures.
- Maternal physical activity was self-reported and categorized as active or inactive during mid-pregnancy.
- Infant lung function was assessed using the time to peak tidal expiratory flow to expiratory time ratio (t_PTEF/t_E).
Main Results:
- No significant difference in mean t_PTEF/t_E was observed between infants of active and inactive mothers.
- Infants of inactive mothers showed higher odds of having a low t_PTEF/t_E (<0.25) compared to infants of all active mothers (OR 2.07).
- Specifically, infants of inactive mothers had significantly higher odds of impaired lung function compared to infants of fairly active mothers (OR 2.83).
Conclusions:
- Maternal physical activity in early pregnancy is associated with infant lung function at three months.
- Infants born to inactive mothers exhibit a higher likelihood of reduced lung function.
- These findings highlight the importance of maternal physical activity for infant respiratory health development.
Background And Aim:
Physical activity (PA) in pregnancy is important for maternal and possibly offspring health. To study the early origins of lung function we aimed to determine whether PA in the first half of pregnancy is associated with lung function in healthy 3-month-old infants.
Methods:
From the general population-based Preventing Atopic Dermatitis and Allergies in Children birth cohort recruiting infants antenatally in Norway and Sweden, all 812 infants (48.8% girls) with available tidal flow-volume measures in the awake state at 3 months of age and mid-pregnancy data on PA were included. PA was self-reported by the mothers and, based on intensity, we categorised them as active or inactive during pregnancy. Furthermore, we defined active mothers as fairly or highly active. The main outcome was a ratio of time to peak tidal expiratory flow to expiratory time (t PTEF/t E) <0.25. Associations were analysed by logistic regression, adjusting for maternal age, education, parity, pre-pregnancy body mass index, in utero nicotine exposure and parental atopy.
Results:
The mean±sd t PTEF/t E was 0.391±0.08 and did not differ significantly according to maternal PA level in pregnancy. The 290 infants of inactive mothers had higher odds of having t PTEF/t E <0.25 compared to infants of all active mothers (OR 2.07, 95% CI 1.13-3.82; p=0.019) and compared to infants (n=224) of fairly active (OR 2.83, 95% CI 1.26-7.24; p=0.018) but not highly active mothers (n=298).
Conclusion:
Based on self-reported maternal PA in the first half of pregnancy, 3-month-old infants of inactive compared to active mothers had higher odds of a low t PTEF/t E.
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