title: Impact of maternal body mass index on neonate birthweight and body composition.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to compare bodyweight and composition (percent fat, fat mass, and fat-free mass) in neonates born to mothers with a normal pregravid body mass index (BMI; < 25 kg/m(2)) vs neonates born to mothers with an overweight/obese pregravid BMI (> or = 25 kg/m(2)).
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-two neonates (33 from normal mothers and 39 from overweight/obese mothers) of singleton pregnancies with normal glucose tolerance had their bodyweight and body composition assessed by air-displacement plethysmography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After controlling for neonate age at time of testing, significant differences were found between groups for percent fat (12.5 +/- 4.2% vs 13.6 +/- 4.3%; P < or = .0001), fat mass (414.1 +/- 264.2 vs 448.3 +/- 262.2 g; P < or = .05), and fat-free mass (3310.5 +/- 344.6 vs 3162.2 +/- 343.4 g; P < or = .05), with no significant differences between birth length (50.7 +/- 2.6 vs 49.6 +/- 2.6 cm; P = .08) or birthweight (3433.0 +/- 396.3 vs 3368.0 +/- 399.6 g; P = .44).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neonates born to mothers who have a normal BMI have significantly less total and relative fat and more fat-free mass than neonates born to overweight/obese mothers. Although preliminary, these data suggest that the antecedents of future disease risk (eg, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity) occur early in life.
authors.affiliation: Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Holly R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Hull
authors.forename: Mary K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Dinger
authors.forename: Allen W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Knehans
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Fields
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D011247:Pregnancy