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The Association of Maternal Pre-Pregnancy Overweight with Childhood BMI Trajectories and Blood Pressure

Tianshu Feng1, Rui Deng2, Weiqin Li3

  • 1Institute of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China.

Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)
|June 12, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Maternal pre-pregnancy overweight increases childhood high blood pressure (HBP) risk. Childhood body mass index (BMI) trajectories mediate this link, with persistent overweight or obesity significantly elevating HBP risk in offspring.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Cardiovascular Health
  • Obesity Research

Background:

  • Childhood high blood pressure (HBP) is a critical risk factor for adult cardiovascular disease.
  • The influence of body mass index (BMI) trajectories from birth on early-life blood pressure (BP) requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify distinct childhood BMI trajectories.
  • To examine the association between maternal pre-pregnancy overweight, childhood BMI trajectories, and the risk of HBP.
  • To investigate the mediating role of BMI trajectories in the link between maternal pre-pregnancy overweight and childhood HBP.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective birth cohort analysis of 886 children from pregnancy to age 9.11 years.
  • Group-based trajectory modeling (GBTM) to define BMI trajectories.
  • Binomial regression and mediation analyses to assess associations and indirect effects.

Main Results:

  • Five distinct childhood BMI trajectories were identified.
  • Persistent overweight and obesity trajectories were significantly associated with increased HBP risk (RR 2.52-3.34).
  • Childhood BMI trajectories mediated 34.9% of the association between maternal pre-pregnancy overweight and offspring HBP.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal pre-pregnancy overweight is a significant risk factor for childhood HBP.
  • Childhood BMI trajectories, particularly persistent overweight and obesity, play a crucial role in mediating this risk.
  • Early life BMI patterns are critical for understanding and potentially preventing childhood HBP.

Keywords:
childhoodearly-life BMI trajectorieshigh blood pressurematernal pre-pregnancy overweight

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