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Examining Maternal Cardiometabolic Markers in Pregnancy on Child Emotional and Behavior Trajectories: Using Growth

Janell Kwok1, Daria P Khanolainen2, Lydia G Speyer1,3

  • 1School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.

Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science
|October 26, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Maternal cardiometabolic health during pregnancy impacts child behavior. Poor maternal health, indicated by high glucose and triglycerides, is linked to increased conduct and hyperactivity problems in children aged 4-16.

Area of Science:

  • Perinatal health
  • Child development
  • Behavioral science

Background:

  • Maternal cardiometabolic health during pregnancy is linked to adverse child health outcomes.
  • Limited research exists on the impact of maternal cardiometabolic health on child and adolescent socioemotional development.
  • This study investigates the association between maternal cardiometabolic markers and socioemotional trajectories in children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the relationship between maternal cardiometabolic markers (fasting glucose, triglycerides, HDL, LDL, BMI) during pregnancy and child/adolescent socioemotional development.
  • To identify specific maternal cardiometabolic risk factors that predict socioemotional trajectories from ages 4 to 16.
  • To inform clinical risk assessments for child socioemotional outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (UK) cohort (N=15,133 mother-child pairs).
  • Employed growth curve models to analyze associations between maternal cardiometabolic markers across pregnancy trimesters (T1, T2, T3) and child socioemotional outcomes.
  • Adjusted models for pregnancy trimesters, maternal, child, and socioeconomic covariates.

Main Results:

  • Elevated first-trimester fasting glucose was associated with increased conduct problems.
  • Higher first-trimester body mass index correlated with increased hyperactivity problems.
  • Lowered first-trimester high-density lipoprotein and elevated second-trimester triglycerides were linked to increased hyperactivity problems.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal cardiometabolic risk during pregnancy is associated with conduct and hyperactivity problems in children and adolescents.
  • Maternal markers like fasting glucose, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides may supplement clinical risk assessments for predicting child socioemotional trajectories.
  • Early identification of maternal cardiometabolic risk factors can aid in predicting and potentially mitigating adverse socioemotional outcomes in offspring.
Abstract

Keywords:
Avon ALSPACBiomarkersChild developmentMetabolicPregnancy

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