title: Impact of maternal nutritional status before and during pregnancy on neonatal body composition: A cross-sectional study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The existence of early factors which, acting during critical periods of intrauterine or immediate postnatal development, determine long-term health has become increasingly recognized. Both high and low birth weight have been associated with cardiovascular risk factors in adulthood. Therefore, body composition at birth rather than birth weight may be a marker to predict future diseases. Maternal weight previous to and gained during pregnancy is associated with intrauterine fetal growth.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the correlation between maternal nutritional status before and during pregnancy and neonatal body composition.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied consecutive mother-child pairs at delivery at an Argentinean public hospital during 5 months period, evaluating maternal and neonatal anthropometry before 24h of life as well as the history of the mother before and during pregnancy. Neonatal body composition was calculated according to a mathematical formula based on skinfold thickness measurement validated in newborns.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mothers of newborns with high body fat mass were more frequently obese (72.7% versus 35.1%, p 0.005), and more frequently showed weight gain above 18kg during pregnancy (76.4% versus 31%, p 0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings confirm the hypothesis that maternal obesity before pregnancy is highly correlated with neonatal fat mass in the first hours of life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diabetes and Clinical Nutrition, Hospital J.P. Garrahan, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Sol
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pacce
authors.affiliation: Department of Diabetes and Clinical Nutrition, Hospital J.P. Garrahan, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: gocarola@icloud.com.
authors.forename: Carola
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Saure
authors.affiliation: Department of Diabetes and Clinical Nutrition, Hospital J.P. Garrahan, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Carmen S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Mazza
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatology, Hospital Posadas, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatology, Hospital Posadas, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Rita G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Tomzig
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Hospital Posadas, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Ana P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Lopez
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Hospital Posadas, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Lucio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ribarola
authors.affiliation: Department of Diabetes and Clinical Nutrition, Hospital J.P. Garrahan, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Gabriela A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Krochick
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D001823:Body Composition; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000502:physiology*; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism; D016742:Preconception Care; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000378:metabolism; D039401:Prenatal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Gestational weight gain; Maternal weight; Neonatal fat mass; Obesity