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Prepregnancy obesity triples risk for excess weight in offspring

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Children born to mothers with prepregnancy obesity were 3.6 times more likely to also have obesity when compared with children born to mothers without excess weight, according to data presented at the European Congress on Obesity.

Nicola Heslehurst

“Prevention of childhood obesity must consider the complex interplay of genetic, in utero epigenetic and post-birth exposures,” Nicola Heslehurst, PhD, a lecturer with the Institute of Health and Society at Newcastle University, United Kingdom, told Endocrine Today. “Evidence from epigenetic studies suggests there are changes in utero when mothers have obesity that can predispose the child to obesity development. If women have been exposed to complex factors in the development of their own obesity, such as environmental and socioeconomic determinants, then the child is also likely to be exposed to these same factors on top of the in utero development factors. Prevention is essential, and efforts to intervene at all early life stages, including preconception, are needed.”

In a systematic review and meta-analysis, Heslehurst and colleagues analyzed data from 67 studies with 48 cohorts that reported associations between maternal and child BMI or z score. The analysis included 20 studies on child obesity (n = 88,872), 22 studies on child overweight or obesity (n = 181,800) and 10 studies on child overweight (n = 53,238).

Primary outcome was child obesity; continuous outcomes were BMI and z score. Researchers used random-effects models to conduct linear and nonlinear dose-response meta-analyses.

Researchers found children born to women with obesity were 3.6 times more likely to have obesity vs. children born to women in the recommended BMI range, defined as between 18.5 kg/m² and 25 kg/m² (OR = 3.64; 95% CI, 2.68-4.95). Risk persisted among children born to mothers with overweight, who were nearly twice as likely to have overweight when compared with children born to mothers without excess weight (OR = 1.89; 95% CI, 1.62-2.19).

In analyzing the combined risk for overweight and obesity, researchers calculated the OR as 2.69 for children born to mothers with prepregnancy obesity (95% CI, 2.1-3.46) and 1.65 for children born to mothers with prepregnancy overweight (95% CI, 1.47-1.85). The risk for childhood overweight was similarly elevated for children born to mothers with prepregnancy obesity (OR = 1.8; 95% CI, 1.25-2.59) and prepregnancy overweight (OR = 1.41; 95% CI, 1.19-1.67).

“Reproductive health is an important factor for the lifelong health of offspring,” Heslehurst said. “This is a population vulnerable to the complex factors that cause obesity development who need more targeted intervention to support the lifelong well-being of women and their babies.” – by Regina Schaffer

Reference:

Heslehurst N, et al. Maternal BMI is an early life predictor of childhood obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Presented at: European Congress on Obesity; April 28-May 1, 2019; Glasgow, Scotland.

Disclosure: Heslehurst reports no relevant financial disclosures.