title: Maternal prepregnancy obesity and child neurodevelopment in the Collaborative Perinatal Project.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the association between maternal prepregnancy weight and child neurodevelopment, and the effect of gestational weight gain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using the U.S. Collaborative Perinatal Project data, 1959-76, a total of 30,212 women with a calculable prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain, and term singleton children followed up for more than 7 years were included in this study. Intelligence quotient (IQ) was measured at 7 years of age by Wechsler Intelligence Scales.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Maternal prepregnancy BMI displayed inverted U-shaped associations with child IQ after adjustment for maternal age, maternal education levels, maternal race, marital status, socioeconomic status, smoking during pregnancy, parity and study center. Women with BMI at around 20 kg/m2 appeared to have the highest offspring IQ scores. After controlling for familial factors in the siblings' sample, maternal obesity (BMI≥30.0 kg/m2) was associated with lower Full-scale IQ (adjusted ß=-2.0, 95% confidence interval -3.5 to -0.5), and Verbal scale IQ (adjusted ß=-2.5, 95% confidence interval -4.0 to -1.0), using BMI of 18.5-24.9 kg/m2 as the reference category. Compared with children born to normal-weight women who gained 21-25 lb. during pregnancy, those born to obese women who gained more than 40 lb. had 6.5 points deficit in IQ after adjustment for potential confounders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maternal prepregnancy obesity was associated with lower child IQ, and excessive weight gain accelerated the association. With obesity rising steadily, these results appear to raise serious public health concerns.
authors.affiliation: MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health and Department of Pediatrics, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China, Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Center for Biobehavioral Health, Columbus, OH, USA and Department of Pediatrics and Division of Epidemiology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA and Department of Obstetrics, Xinhua Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, ChinaMOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health and Department of Pediatrics, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China, Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Center for Biobehavioral Health, Columbus, OH, USA and Department of Pediatrics and Division of Epidemiology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA and Department of Obstetrics, Xinhua Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Lisu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health and Department of Pediatrics, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China, Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Center for Biobehavioral Health, Columbus, OH, USA and Department of Pediatrics and Division of Epidemiology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA and Department of Obstetrics, Xinhua Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xiaodan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health and Department of Pediatrics, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China, Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Center for Biobehavioral Health, Columbus, OH, USA and Department of Pediatrics and Division of Epidemiology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA and Department of Obstetrics, Xinhua Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Keim
authors.affiliation: MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health and Department of Pediatrics, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China, Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Center for Biobehavioral Health, Columbus, OH, USA and Department of Pediatrics and Division of Epidemiology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA and Department of Obstetrics, Xinhua Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health and Department of Pediatrics, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China, Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Center for Biobehavioral Health, Columbus, OH, USA and Department of Pediatrics and Division of Epidemiology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA and Department of Obstetrics, Xinhua Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health and Department of Pediatrics, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China, Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Center for Biobehavioral Health, Columbus, OH, USA and Department of Pediatrics and Division of Epidemiology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA and Department of Obstetrics, Xinhua Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China junjimzhang@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007361:Intelligence Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: Pregnancy obesity, gestational weight gain, intelligence quotient (IQ)