title: Maternal haemoglobin levels and cardio-metabolic risk factors in childhood: the Generation R study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether variations in maternal haemoglobin levels during pregnancy are associated with cardio-metabolic risk factors in school age children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population-based prospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 2002-2012.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mothers and children (n = 5002) participating in the Generation R Study.
  
  
  METHODS
  We obtained maternal haemoglobin levels during early pregnancy (median gestational age 14.6 weeks [95% range 10.3, 25.3]) from venous blood samples. Maternal anaemia and elevated haemoglobin levels were based on World Health Organization criteria. We measured childhood cardio-metabolic risk factors at age 6 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cardio-metabolic risk factors included body mass index, total fat mass percentage, android/gynoid fat mass ratio, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, left ventricular mass, and blood levels of cholesterol, insulin and C-peptide.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Maternal haemoglobin levels were not associated with childhood body mass index, total fat mass percentage, android/gynoid fat mass ratio, systolic blood pressure, cholesterol or insulin levels. Compared with children with normal maternal haemoglobin levels, children from anaemic mothers had slightly higher diastolic blood pressures (difference 0.70 mmHg, 95% CI 0.12, 1.29) and lower C-peptide levels (difference factor 0.93, 95% CI 0.88, 0.98), and children of mothers with elevated haemoglobin levels had lower left ventricular masses (difference -1.08 g, 95% CI -1.88, -0.29). These associations attenuated after adjustment for multiple testing and were not consistent within linear models.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results do not strongly support the hypothesis that variations in maternal haemoglobin levels during pregnancy influence cardio-metabolic risk factors in childhood.
authors.affiliation: The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Welten
authors.affiliation: The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.|Department of Paediatrics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gaillard
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hofman
authors.affiliation: The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.|Department of Paediatrics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: de Jonge
authors.affiliation: The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.|Department of Paediatrics, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Vwv
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jaddoe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D009426:Netherlands; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000209:etiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006454:Hemoglobins
keywords: Anaemia; cardio-metabolic risk factors; haemoglobin; pregnancy