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Child somatic growth and neurodevelopment: effects of pregnancy lifestyle intervention

Kristina Geyer1, Roxana Raab1, Monika Spies1

  • 1Institute of Nutritional Medicine, Else Kröner-Fresenius-Centre for Nutritional Medicine, TUM School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Georg-Brauchle-Ring 62, 80992, Munich, Germany.

Pediatric Research
|February 20, 2025
PubMed

Insights

An antenatal lifestyle intervention did not impact children's growth or neurodevelopment by age five. While some weight category shifts occurred, the intervention showed no long-term benefits for child health outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Maternal and child health
  • Public health interventions
  • Developmental pediatrics

Background:

  • Maternal health behaviors significantly influence offspring's long-term health and obesity risk.
  • Antenatal interventions aim to improve maternal health, potentially impacting child development.
  • Understanding the lasting effects of such interventions is crucial for public health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the long-term effects of a comprehensive antenatal lifestyle intervention on somatic growth and neurodevelopment in preschool-aged children.
  • To assess the intervention's impact on anthropometric measures (weight, height, BMI) and neurodevelopmental outcomes up to age five.
  • To determine if a large-scale, real-world antenatal lifestyle program influences child obesity risk.

Main Methods:

  • A cluster-randomized trial (GeliS) followed children born to mothers receiving usual care (control group) or lifestyle counseling (intervention group).
  • Anthropometric data and neurodevelopmental assessments using the Ages-and-Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) were collected from children at ages four and five.
  • Data from 1,403 children were analyzed to compare outcomes between the intervention and control groups.

Main Results:

  • The antenatal lifestyle intervention showed no significant effect on children's weight, height, head circumference, BMI, or related z-scores at ages four and five.
  • While underweight proportions decreased in the intervention group, overweight and obesity proportions were higher compared to the control group.
  • Neurodevelopmental scores (ASQ) were comparable between children in the intervention and control groups, indicating no discernible impact on cognitive or developmental milestones.

Conclusions:

  • The antenatal lifestyle intervention did not yield meaningful long-term improvements in child somatic growth or neurodevelopment up to age five.
  • The study found no sustained impact on children's anthropometry or their risk of developing overweight or obesity.
  • Personalized antenatal interventions addressing individual risk profiles may be necessary to achieve significant and sustainable effects on child development and obesity prevention.
Abstract

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