Association of Maternal Whole Blood Selenium with Cardiac Structure at 4 y of Age: A Prospective Birth Cohort Study

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Health
• Prenatal Nutrition
• Pediatric Cardiology

Background:

• Limited understanding of the connection between maternal selenium and offspring cardiac development.
• Selenium's role in fetal growth and cardiovascular health is an emerging area of research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between maternal whole blood selenium levels in early pregnancy and offspring cardiac structure at age 4.
• To determine if maternal selenium status impacts fetal heart development and long-term cardiac health.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from 956 mother-child pairs in the Shanghai Birth Cohort.
• Utilized multiple linear/logistic regressions and restricted cubic splines to assess associations.
• Measured maternal whole blood selenium and offspring cardiac structure parameters.

Main Results:

• Low maternal selenium levels correlated with increased left ventricular posterior wall thickness, left ventricular posterior wall thickness at diastole (LVPWd), and relative wall thickness (RWT) in male offspring.
• Maternal selenium exhibited a U-shaped association with left ventricular mass index, LVPWd, interventricular septal thickness, and RWT in males.
• A significantly higher risk of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) was observed in male offspring with low maternal selenium levels compared to those with medium levels.
• No significant associations were found in female offspring.

Conclusions:

• Low maternal selenium levels are associated with adverse cardiac structural changes and increased LVH risk in preschool-aged male offspring.
• These findings suggest a sex-specific impact of maternal selenium on fetal cardiac development.
• Further research is warranted to explore the mechanisms and clinical implications of these sex-specific associations.