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Published on: June 25, 2010
Early pregnancy metabolomic signatures for child growth trajectories: a prospective metabolome-wide association study
Clara Voong1, Assiamira Ferrara2, Ana K Rosen Vollmar2
1Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States.
Insights
Early pregnancy lipid metabolites, including phosphatidylcholines, are linked to accelerated child growth. These findings highlight how maternal metabolic profiles in early pregnancy influence infant development and future health.
Area of Science:
- Metabolomics and Developmental Biology
- Maternal-Fetal Medicine
- Pediatric Endocrinology
Background:
- Suboptimal early-life growth trajectories predict later cardiometabolic risk.
- Early pregnancy maternal metabolomic profiles' role in child growth is underexplored.
- Existing research links mid- to late-pregnancy metabolites to fetal and birth outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine associations between early pregnancy metabolites and child growth acceleration/deceleration.
- To investigate growth trajectories from birth to one and two years of age.
- To identify specific metabolites and metabolite clusters influencing early child development.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study of 1,152 mother-child dyads (Pregnancy Environment and Lifestyle Study).
- Untargeted maternal serum metabolomics at 10-13 weeks gestation using mass spectrometry.
- Poisson regression and chemical enrichment analysis to assess metabolite associations with growth trajectories (defined by weight-for-length z-scores).
Main Results:
- 431 metabolites identified; specific lipid clusters linked to growth patterns.
- Polyunsaturated plasmalogen phosphatidylcholine associated with growth acceleration (birth to 1 year).
- Branched-chain amino acids linked to extreme growth deceleration (birth to 2 years).
Conclusions:
- Early pregnancy lipids positively associate with early-life growth acceleration.
- Metabolic changes in early pregnancy may shape subsequent child development.
- Findings offer insights into metabolic influences on pediatric growth trajectories.
Background:
Suboptimal early-life growth trajectories are predictors of later cardiometabolic risk. Although mid- to late-pregnancy maternal metabolites have been linked to fetal and birth outcomes, the role of early pregnancy metabolomic profiles in child growth trajectories is underexplored.
Objectives:
We examined associations between early pregnancy metabolites and child growth acceleration and deceleration from birth to age 1 and 2 y.
Methods:
Among 1152 mother-child dyads from the prospective Pregnancy Environment and Lifestyle Study, maternal untargeted metabolomics were measured by gas chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry, reversed phase-, and hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry using fasting serum collected at gestational weeks 10 to 13. Of this sample, 813 had child anthropometric data at age 1 y and 770 at age 2 y. Growth trajectories were defined by changes in weight-for-length z-scores from birth to age 1 or 2 y: growth acceleration [≥0.67 standard deviation (SD)], growth deceleration (≤-0.67 SD), extreme growth acceleration (≥1.34 SD), and extreme growth deceleration (≤-1.34 SD), with normal growth (-0.67 to 0.67 SD) as reference. Poisson regression examined associations between metabolites and child growth trajectories. Chemical enrichment analysis identified metabolite clusters associated with child growth trajectories, adjusted for false discovery rate (FDR).
Results:
A total of 431 annotated metabolites were identified. From birth to age 1 y, the polyunsaturated plasmalogen phosphatidylcholine (PC) cluster was associated with growth acceleration, whereas unsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids were associated with growth deceleration (all FDR-corrected P < 0.05). Polyunsaturated plasmalogen PC and unsaturated PC clusters were associated with extreme growth acceleration from birth to 1 y, dicarboxylic acids with extreme growth acceleration from birth to 2 y, and branched-chain amino acids with extreme growth deceleration from birth to 2 y (all FDR-corrected P < 0.05).
Conclusions:
Early pregnancy lipids are positively associated with early-life growth acceleration and extreme growth acceleration. Findings may provide insights into how early pregnancy metabolomic changes shape development.
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