Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2010 Jan;34(1):67-74.
doi: 10.1038/ijo.2009.206. Epub 2009 Nov 17.

Gestational weight gain in relation to offspring body mass index and obesity from infancy through adulthood

L Schack-Nielsen  1 , K F Michaelsen, M Gamborg, E L Mortensen, T I A Sørensen
Affiliations

Gestational weight gain in relation to offspring body mass index and obesity from infancy through adulthood

L Schack-Nielsen et al. Int J Obes (Lond). 2010 Jan.

Abstract

Objective: Gestational weight gain (GWG) is associated with childhood obesity. We analyzed whether this effect persists into adulthood and is mediated by effects in childhood.

Design: The design of the study a prospective birth cohort study established in 1959-1961.

Subjects: The subjects were offspring (n = 4234 of whom 2485 had information from the last follow-up) of mothers included in 'The Copenhagen Perinatal Cohort' during pregnancy or at birth.

Measurements: Information on maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), GWG and several potential confounders were collected around delivery. Information on offspring BMI was available from various follow-up examinations from 1 to 42 years of age. The association of GWG with offspring BMI was analyzed by regression models including confounders. Using path analysis, the association of GWG with adult BMI was disentangled into an association mediated through childhood BMI and one independent hereof.

Results: GWG was associated with offspring BMI at all ages. At the age of 42 years (n = 1540), there was an increasing risk of obesity (odds ratio (OR) 1.08, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03-1.14 per kg GWG, P = 0.003). Only half of the association of GWG on offspring adult BMI was mediated through birth weight and BMI up to 14 years of age.

Conclusion: Greater GWG is associated with an increased BMI in childhood through adulthood and with an increased risk of obesity in adults. Only part of the association with adult BMI is mediated by childhood BMI, suggesting that excessive GWG induces a persisting susceptibility to obesogenic environments. As GWG is greater in women with small pre-pregnancy body weight, this implies a reinforcement of the obesity epidemic in the next generation. Our findings provide support for avoiding excessive GWG.

PubMed Disclaimer