title: Longitudinal body composition of children born to mothers with normal weight, overweight, and obesity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The longitudinal trajectories of body composition of children born to mothers with normal weight, overweight, and obesity have not been evaluated using precise body composition methods. This study investigated the relationship between maternal prepregnancy BMI and offspring body composition trajectories during the first 6 years of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  Healthy infants (N = 325) were assessed longitudinally (at ages 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 years) using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Mixed-effects regression for repeated measures was used to model each continuous outcome as a function of maternal BMI and covariates (race, gestational age, birth weight, and mode of infant feeding).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Maternal obesity differentially impacted body fat, but not bone mineral content or density, of girls and boys. Boys born to mothers with obesity have higher body fat from ages 2-6 years compared to boys born to normal-weight and overweight mothers (P < 0.05), whereas body composition of girls born to mothers with obesity was not different across groups during the first 6 years of life (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This clinical observational study demonstrates a sexual dimorphism in offspring body composition until age 6 years based on maternal BMI, with a greater effect of maternal adiposity seen in boys than in girls.
authors.affiliation: Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.|Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.
authors.forename: Aline
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Andres
authors.affiliation: School of Health Professions, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA.
authors.forename: Holly R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Hull
authors.affiliation: Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.|Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.
authors.forename: Kartik
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shankar
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.
authors.forename: Patrick H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Casey
authors.affiliation: Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.|Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.
authors.forename: Mario A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Cleves
authors.affiliation: Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.|Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Badger
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D001724:Birth Weight; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D050177:Overweight / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology