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Maternal Pregnancy and Pre-Pregnancy Weight and Behavioural Outcomes in Children

Berihun A Dachew1,2, Akilew A Adane3, Rosa Alati1,4

  • 1School of Population Health, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia.

Behavioral Sciences (Basel, Switzerland)
|January 22, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Maternal pre-pregnancy underweight is linked to increased behavioral issues in children, while overweight and obesity are associated with conduct and emotional problems. Gestational weight gain showed minimal impact on child behavior.

Area of Science:

  • Maternal and child health
  • Developmental psychology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Inconsistent findings exist regarding the association between maternal pre-pregnancy weight, gestational weight gain, and offspring behavioral outcomes.
  • Understanding these links is crucial for early intervention and public health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the associations between pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) categories and gestational weight gain with offspring behavioral problems.
  • To examine these associations across multiple developmental stages from early childhood to adolescence.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), including over 6800 mother-offspring pairs at age 3 and 3925 at age 16.
  • Analyzed associations between pre-pregnancy BMI (underweight, overweight, obesity) and gestational weight gain with various child behavioral outcomes using statistical models.
  • Employed Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) subscales to assess specific behavioral domains.

Main Results:

  • Pre-pregnancy underweight was associated with a 22% increased risk of total behavioral difficulties.
  • Maternal underweight was linked to higher risks of emotional symptoms and prosocial behavior problems.
  • Pre-pregnancy overweight and obesity were associated with increased risks of conduct problems, peer relationship problems, and emotional problems.
  • Gestational weight gain did not show significant associations with most child behavioral outcomes, except for a reduced risk of prosocial behavior problems.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal preconception BMI, particularly underweight and obesity, is significantly associated with specific offspring behavioral problems across development.
  • Gestational weight gain appears to have a limited role in influencing child behavior.
  • Further research is needed to confirm these findings and explore the underlying biological and environmental mechanisms.

Keywords:
ALSPACSDQbehavioural problemsgestational weight gainmaternal BMI

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