Maternal Prepregnancy Body Mass Index and Offspri

Authors: Ryan J Van Lieshout Louis A Schmidt Monique Robinson Alison Niccols Michael H Boyle

Publish Date: 2012/09/15

Volume: 44, Issue: 3, Pages: 382-390

PDF Link

Abstract

Recent research suggests that fetal exposure to increased maternal body mass index BMI during pregnancy may be associated with psychopathology later in life When this link first emerges and if it is due to intrauterine exposures or confounding variables is not known We therefore assessed associations between maternal prepregnancy BMI and 1 temperament at 1 year of age and 2 Child Behavior Checklist internalizing and externalizing scales at age 2 in the 2900 mothers and infants enrolled in the Western Australian Pregnancy Study Prepregnancy BMI was positively associated with externalizing scores β = 0131 95  CI 0013–0249 at age 2 even after adjustment for confounders but not with internalizing scores or an increased risk of difficult temperament These data suggest that fetal exposure to increased maternal BMI is associated with elevated levels of behavior problems as early as age 2 and that this may be linked to the intrauterine environmentCore funding for 1 and 2 year followups was provided by the Raine Medical Research Foundation The University of Western Australia UWA the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research the UWA Faculty of Medicine Dentistry and Health Sciences the Women and Infants Research Foundation and Curtin University as well as the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia NHMRC Grants 963209 211912 003209 and 353514 and Australian Health Management We are grateful to the participating families and the Raine Study team including its data collectors cohort managers data managers clerical staff research scientists and volunteers Dr Van Lieshout holds a Canadian Institutes of Health Research CIHR Fellowship and Dr Boyle a Canada Research Chair in the Social Determinants of Child Health Dr Robinson is funded by Australian Rotary Health

Keywords: