Maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index, gestational weight gain and child weight during the first 2 years of life in an Amazonian birth cohort

Author(s)

da Silva, Lara Livia Santos ; Malta, Maira Barreto ; Lourenco, Barbara Hatzlhoffer ; Mosquera, Paola Soledad ; Damasceno, Ana Alice de Araujo ; Neves, Paulo Augusto Ribeiro ; Cardoso, Marly Augusto ; MINA-Brazil Working Grp

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: JOURNAL OF HUMAN NUTRITION AND DIETETICS; v. N/A, p. 12-pg., 2023-02-22.

Abstract

BackgroundIn socially vulnerable populations, evidence is needed regarding the role of maternal nutritional status on child weight during the first 2 years of life. ObjectivesWe aimed to assess the association of pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG) with offspring BMI-for-age z-scores (BAZs) during the first 2 years of life. MethodsA population-based birth cohort study was conducted with 900 mother-child pairs. Pre-pregnancy weight and weight at delivery were collected from medical records, and anthropometric data were measured at birth and at 6-month, 1-year and 2-year follow-up visits. Linear regression and linear mixed-effect models assessed associations with pre-pregnancy BMI, GWG and BAZ during the first 2 years of life. ResultsPre-pregnancy overweight and obesity and excessive GWG were positively associated with BAZ at birth and at 1- and 2-year follow-up visits. There were no significant additional BAZ changes per year based on the exposures up to age 2 years. ConclusionsElevated maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and GWG were associated with a child's higher BAZ at birth, and these differences remained constant throughout the first 2 years of life in Amazonian children. These findings highlight the importance of promoting adequate maternal weight before pregnancy and during prenatal care also in socially vulnerable populations. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 16/00270-6 - MINA study - Maternal and child health in Acre: birth cohort in the Western Brazilian Amazon
• Grantee: Marly Augusto Cardoso
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 21/02096-1 - Longitudinal analysis of childhood nutritional indicators in Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre
• Grantee: Lara Lívia Santos da Silva
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral