ABSTRACT
Context: Obesity is a global epidemic, and there is a focus on identifying markers of obesity in children with a view to prevention. Objective: We aimed to examine prospectively the association of maternal fasting lipids with adiposity in 5- to 7-year-old offspring in a large observational study. Design: Pregnant women (1612) were recruited to the Belfast center of the Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome study in a large tertiary maternity hospital at an average of 28 weeks' gestation. Maternal fasting total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol were estimated at 28 weeks' gestation. Offspring-mother pairs (819) were included in the current study, and adiposity was expressed as body mass index (BMI) z score (1990 British growth standard) and sum of skin-fold (SSF) thicknesses (triceps, subscapular, and suprailiac). Statistical significance was more rigorously defined as P < 0.01 to allow for multiple comparisons. Results: No linear relation was found between maternal lipids and offspring BMI z score or SSFs (P ≥ 0.01) using correlation analysis. With the use of logistic regression, there was no relation between maternal lipids and offspring adiposity controlled for birthweight z score, offspring age, offspring gender, smoking during pregnancy, offspring energy intake and physical activity, maternal BMI during pregnancy, and fasting glucose during pregnancy (P ≥ 0.01). Conclusion: Maternal 28-week gestational fasting lipids are not associated with offspring BMI or subcutaneous adiposity at age 5 to 7 years.
Subject(s)
Adiposity , Lipids/blood , Obesity/physiopathology , Pregnancy Complications , Adult , Birth Weight , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Gestational Age , Humans , Male , Mother-Child Relations , Pregnancy , Pregnancy Outcome , Prospective Studies , Triglycerides/bloodABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Obesity in the offspring of women with hyperglycemia during pregnancy has been reported, but the results are conflicting. This study examined the association of hyperglycemia during pregnancy and anthropometry in 5- to 7-year-old offspring whose mothers participated in the Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome (HAPO) Study at the Belfast Centre. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Women in the HAPO study underwent a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) at approximately 28 weeks of gestation. Mothers and caregivers remained blinded to the results unless the fasting plasma glucose (FPG) concentration was >5.8 mmol/L or the 2-h plasma glucose (2hPG) concentration was >11.1 mmol/L. Offspring weight, height, and skinfold thicknesses (triceps, subscapular, and suprailiac) were measured at age 5-7 years. Overweight, obesity, and extreme obesity were defined as a BMI z score ≥85th, ≥95th, and ≥99th percentile, respectively, based on the 1990 British Growth Standard. RESULTS: Belfast HAPO offspring (n = 1,320, 82%) aged 5-7 years attended for follow-up. With use of multiple regression, maternal FPG, 1h PG, and 2hPG did not show any relation to offspring BMI z score or offspring skinfold sum independent of maternal BMI at OGTT and offspring birth weight z score. This lack of association with maternal glycemia persisted with the offspring BMI z score expressed as ≥85th, ≥95th, or 99th percentile and the sum of skinfolds expressed as ≥90th percentile specific for sex. The initially significant relation between FPG and all offspring adiposity measures was explained by maternal BMI at the OGTT. CONCLUSIONS: After adjustment for maternal BMI at the OGTT, higher maternal FPG concentration during pregnancy (short of diabetes) is no longer a risk factor for obesity, as reflected by BMI and the sum of skinfolds in offspring aged 5-7 years.
