title: Being macrosomic at birth is an independent predictor of overweight in children: results from the IDEFICS study.
abstract: Fetal macrosomia is a risk factor for the development of obesity late in childhood. We retrospectively evaluated the relationship between maternal conditions associated with fetal macrosomia and actual overweight/obesity in the European cohort of children participating in the IDEFICS study. Anthropometric variables, blood pressure and plasma lipids and glucose were measured. Socio-demographic data, medical history and perinatal factors, familiar and gestational history, maternal and/or gestational diabetes were assessed by a questionnaire. Variables of interest were reported for 10,468 children (M/F = 5,294/5,174; age 6.0 ± 1.8 years, M ± SD). The sample was divided in four groups according to child birth weight (BW) and maternal diabetes: (1) adequate for gestational age offspring (BW between the 10th and 90th percentiles for gestational age) of mothers without diabetes (AGA-ND); (2) adequate for gestational age offspring of mothers with diabetes (AGA-D); (3) macrosomic offspring (BW > 90th percentile for gestational age) of mothers without diabetes (Macro-ND); (4) macrosomic offspring of mothers with diabetes (Macro-D). Children macrosomic at birth showed significantly higher actual values of body mass index, waist circumference, and sum of skinfold thickness. In both boys and girls, Macro-ND was an independent determinant of overweight/obesity, after the adjustment for confounders [Boys: OR = 1.7 95 % CI (1.3;2.2); Girls: OR = 1.6 95 % CI (1.3;2.0)], while Macro-D showed a significant association only in girls [OR = 2.6 95 % CI (1.1;6.4)]. Fetal macrosomia, also in the absence of maternal/gestational diabetes, is independently associated with the development of overweight/obesity during childhood. Improving the understanding of fetal programming will contribute to the early prevention of childhood overweight/obesity.
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology and Population Genetics, Institute of Food Sciences, National Research Council (CNR), Via Roma, 64, 83100, Avellino, Italy.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sparano
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ahrens
authors.forename: Stefaan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Henauw
authors.forename: Staffan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marild
authors.forename: Denes
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Molnar
authors.forename: Luis A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suling
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tornaritis
authors.forename: Toomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Veidebaum
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Siani
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Russo
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000886:Anthropometry; D001724:Birth Weight; D001786:Blood Glucose; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005320:Fetal Macrosomia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000150:complications*; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose