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Associations Between Paternal Body Mass Index and Neurodevelopmental-Physical Outcomes in Small-for-Gestational-Age

Yimin Zhang1, Shuming Shao1, Jiong Qin1

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing 100044, China.

Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)
|September 13, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Paternal obesity and underweight are linked to adverse outcomes in small-for-gestational-age (SGA) children, including developmental delays and obesity risk. Optimizing paternal body mass index (BMI) before conception can improve child health.

Area of Science:

  • Reproductive Health
  • Pediatrics
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Paternal preconception body mass index (BMI) is an emerging factor influencing offspring health.
  • Small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants face increased risks for long-term physical and neurodevelopmental issues.
  • The specific impact of paternal BMI categories on SGA children's outcomes requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the association between paternal BMI categories (underweight, normal, overweight, obese) before conception and the physical and neurodevelopmental outcomes of SGA children.
  • To identify specific risks associated with different paternal BMI strata in a Chinese cohort of SGA children.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective cohort study of 412 singleton SGA infants born between 2020-2022.
  • Fathers categorized into BMI groups: underweight, normal-weight, overweight, and obese.
  • Follow-up assessments at 24-36 months included growth parameters (weight, height, BMI Z-scores) and neurodevelopmental evaluations (ASQ-3, ASQ:SE).

Main Results:

  • Paternal underweight was associated with lower birth weights and higher rates of severe SGA.
  • Paternal obesity correlated with increased offspring BMI Z-scores and an 8.7-fold higher risk of childhood obesity.
  • Both paternal underweight and obesity were linked to gross motor impairments; paternal obesity also showed deficiencies in problem-solving and a 3-fold increased risk of social-emotional delays.

Conclusions:

  • A U-shaped relationship exists between paternal BMI and neurodevelopmental outcomes in SGA offspring.
  • Paternal obesity significantly elevates risks for offspring obesity and various neurodevelopmental deficits.
  • Paternal underweight is associated with severe SGA and motor deficits, underscoring the importance of paternal weight management for improved child health outcomes.

Keywords:
neurodevelopmentpaternal weightsmall for gestational agesocial-emotional development

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