title: What accounts for ethnic differences in newborn skinfold thickness comparing South Asians and White Caucasians? Findings from the START and FAMILY Birth Cohorts.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  South Asians are a high-risk group for type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease. We sought to determine ethnic differences in newborn adiposity comparing South Asians (SA) to White Caucasians (Whites).
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven hundred ninety pregnant women (401 SA, 389 Whites) and their full-term offspring from two birth cohorts in Canada were analyzed. Pregnant women completed a health assessment including a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test to assess for dysglycemia. Birthweight, length, waist and hip circumference, and triceps and subscapular skinfold thickness (a surrogate measure of body adiposity) were measured in all newborns. Multivariate regression was used to identify maternal factors associated with newborn skinfold measurements.
  
  
  RESULTS
  South Asian women were younger (30.1 vs 31.8 years, P<0.001), their prepregnancy body mass index was lower (23.7 vs 26.2, P<0.0001) and gestational diabetes was substantially higher (21% vs 13%, P=0.005) compared with Whites. Among full-term newborns, South Asians had lower birthweight (3283 vs 3517 g, P=0.0001), had greater skinfold thickness (11.7 vs 10.6 mm; P=0.0001) and higher waist circumference (31.1 vs 29.9 cm, P=0.0001) compared with Whites. Risk factors for newborn skinfold thickness included South Asian ethnicity (standardized estimate (s.e.): 0.24; P<0.0001), maternal glucose (s.e.: 0.079; P=0.04) and maternal body fat (s.e.: 0.14; P=0.0002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  South Asian newborns are lower birthweight and have greater skinfold thickness, compared with White newborns, and this is influenced by maternal body fat and glucose. Interventions aimed at reducing body fat prior to pregnancy and gestational diabetes during pregnancy in South Asians may favorably alter newborn body composition and require evaluation.
authors: Population Health Research Institute, Hamilton Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.|Chanchlani Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.|Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.|Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors: S S
authors: SS
authors: Anand
authors: Canadian Cardiovascular Research Network, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors: M K
authors: MK
authors: Gupta
authors: Population Health Research Institute, Hamilton Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.|Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors: K M
authors: KM
authors: Schulze
authors: Population Health Research Institute, Hamilton Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Desai
authors: Population Health Research Institute, Hamilton Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Abdalla
authors: Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Wahi
authors: Trillium Health Partners, Credit Valley Hospital, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.|Department of Obstetrics, Credit Valley Hospital, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Wade
authors: Department of Obstetrics, Mississauga Hospital, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.|Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga Hospital, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Scheufler
authors: Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.|Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.|Department of Radiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors: S D
authors: SD
authors: McDonald
authors: Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors: K M
authors: KM
authors: Morrison
authors: Division of Molecular Medicine, St John's Research Institute and Department of Pediatric Nephrology, St John's Medical College, Bangalore, India.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Vasudevan
authors: Division of Nutrition, St John's Research Institute, Bangalore, India.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Dwarakanath
authors: Division of Mental Health and Neuroscience, St John's Research Institute and Department of Psychiatry, St John's Medical College, Bangalore, India.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Srinivasan
authors: Division of Nutrition, St John's Research Institute and Department of Physiology, St John's Medical College, Bangalore, India.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Kurpad
authors: Population Health Research Institute, Hamilton Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.|Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors: H C
authors: HC
authors: Gerstein
authors: Population Health Research Institute, Hamilton Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.|Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors: K K
authors: KK
authors: Teo
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People; D001823:Body Composition; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000378:metabolism*; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000378:metabolism*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D037841:Pregnant People / Q000208:ethnology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012885:Skinfold Thickness; D044465:White People