Associations between Maternal Adiposity during Pregnancy and Neonatal Brain Cortical Development
Xiaoxu Na1, Brooke L Yancey-Ward2, Yan Xue3
1Department of Radiology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
Neuroimage
|July 31, 2026
Summary
Maternal body fat percentage during pregnancy is linked to reduced neonatal brain cortical volume in specific regions. These findings suggest potential in utero and sex-specific effects of maternal adiposity on infant brain development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Public Health
Background:
- Maternal obesity during pregnancy may impact child neurodevelopmental outcomes.
- In utero exposure to maternal obesity can affect offspring brain development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate associations between maternal body fat mass percentage at different pregnancy stages and neonatal cortical brain development.
- To evaluate the impact of maternal adiposity on fetal brain development.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 169 mother/newborn dyads.
- Maternal fat mass percentage assessed via air displacement plethysmography at 12 and 36 weeks gestation.
- Neonatal brain MRI performed at ~2 weeks postnatal age; analyzed for cortical volume, thickness, and surface area.
Main Results:
- Maternal fat mass percentage negatively associated with neonatal cortical volume in the left entorhinal cortex and left parahippocampal gyrus at both 12 and 36 weeks.
- Increased maternal adiposity at 36 weeks also linked to reduced volume in the right temporal pole.
- Sex interacted with maternal fat mass percentage at 12 weeks, affecting cortical volume in the left pars triangularis.
Conclusions:
- Maternal body fat mass percentage during pregnancy is significantly related to neonatal cortical volume.
- Findings suggest potential in utero and sex-specific influences of maternal adiposity on offspring brain development.
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