title: Associations of maternal iron intake and hemoglobin in pregnancy with offspring vascular phenotypes and adiposity at age 10: findings from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Iron deficiency is common during pregnancy. Experimental animal studies suggest that it increases cardiovascular risk in the offspring.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the relationship between maternal pregnancy dietary and supplement iron intake and hemoglobin, with offspring's arterial stiffness (measured by carotid-radial pulse wave velocity), endothelial function (measured by brachial artery flow mediated dilatation), blood pressure, and adiposity (measured by body mass index), test for mediation by cord ferritin, birth weight, gestational age, and child dietary iron intake, and for effect modification by maternal vitamin C intake and offspring sex.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective data from 2958 mothers and children pairs at 10 years of age enrolled in an English birth cohort, the Avon Longitudinal Study for Parents and Children (ALSPAC), was analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  2639 (89.2%) mothers reported dietary iron intake in pregnancy below the UK reference nutrient intake of 14.8 mg/day. 1328 (44.9%) reported taking iron supplements, and 129 (4.4%) were anemic by 18 weeks gestation. No associations were observed apart from maternal iron intake from supplements with offspring systolic blood pressure (-0.8 mmHg, 99% CI -1.7 to 0, P = 0.01 in the sample with all relevant data observed, and -0.7 mmHg, 99% CI -1.3 to 0, P = 0.008 in the sample with missing data imputed).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was no evidence of association between maternal pregnancy dietary iron intake, or maternal hemoglobin concentration (which is less likely to be biased by subjective reporting) with offspring outcomes. There was a modest inverse association between maternal iron supplement intake during pregnancy with offspring systolic blood pressure at 10 years.
authors.affiliation: Nutritional Epidemiology Group, School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Nisreen A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Alwan
authors.affiliation: Nutritional Epidemiology Group, School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Janet E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Cade
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Leeds Institute for Health, Genetics and Therapeutics, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Darren C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Greenwood
authors.affiliation: Vascular Physiology Unit, Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Deanfield
authors.affiliation: Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit & School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Debbie A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Lawlor
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D019266:Iron, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D062486:Public Health Surveillance; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D019266:Iron, Dietary; D007501:Iron