Newborn regional body composition is influenced by maternal obesity, gestational weight gain and the birthweight standard score
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
AIM: This study investigated whether newborn body composition is influenced by prepregnancy obesity and gestational weight gain (GWG) and explored any associations between body composition and birthweight standard score (z-score), categorised by size for gestational age.
METHODS: We recruited 231 obese and 80 normal weight mothers and their newborn infants and assessed the babies' body composition using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.
RESULTS: The total and abdominal fat masses of infants born to mother who were obese before pregnancy were 135 g (p < 0.001) and 18 g (p < 0.001) higher than the offspring of normal weight mothers. The infants' fat mass increased by 11 g (p < 0.001) for every kilogram of GWG. There were no associations between prepregnancy obesity and fat-free mass. The fat percentage was significantly higher in infants who were large for gestational age (15.3%) than small for gestational age (5.2%) and appropriate for gestational age (9.8%) (p < 0.001). Lower birthweight z-score was associated with a higher proportion of abdominal fat mass (p = 0.009).
CONCLUSION: Infants born to obese mothers had higher fat mass at birth, with abdominal fat accumulation. Low birthweight was associated with a lower crude abdominal fat mass, but a higher proportion of total fat mass placed abdominally.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Acta Paediatrica |
Volume | 103 |
Issue number | 9 |
Pages (from-to) | 939-945 |
Number of pages | 7 |
ISSN | 0803-5253 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2014 |
ID: 123729639