title: Newborn regional body composition is influenced by maternal obesity, gestational weight gain and the birthweight standard score.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated whether newborn body composition is influenced by prepregnancy obesity and gestational weight gain (GWG) and explored any associations between body composition and birthweight standard score (z-score), categorised by size for gestational age.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 231 obese and 80 normal weight mothers and their newborn infants and assessed the babies' body composition using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The total and abdominal fat masses of infants born to mother who were obese before pregnancy were 135 g (p < 0.001) and 18 g (p < 0.001) higher than the offspring of normal weight mothers. The infants' fat mass increased by 11 g (p < 0.001) for every kilogram of GWG. There were no associations between prepregnancy obesity and fat-free mass. The fat percentage was significantly higher in infants who were large for gestational age (15.3%) than small for gestational age (5.2%) and appropriate for gestational age (9.8%) (p < 0.001). Lower birthweight z-score was associated with a higher proportion of abdominal fat mass (p = 0.009).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Infants born to obese mothers had higher fat mass at birth, with abdominal fat accumulation. Low birthweight was associated with a lower crude abdominal fat mass, but a higher proportion of total fat mass placed abdominally.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Hvidovre University Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Hvidovre, Denmark.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Carlsen
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Renault
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nørgaard
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nilas
authors.forename: J E B
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hyldstrup
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Michaelsen
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cortes
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pryds
mesh_terms: D050153:Abdominal Fat; D001724:Birth Weight; D001823:Body Composition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D015430:Weight Gain
keywords: Abdominal fat mass; Body composition; Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry; Gestational weight gain; Maternal obesity