Maternal inflammation during pregnancy and childhood adiposity.
Maternal pre-pregnancy obesity is associated with offspring obesity. Underlying mechanisms may involve a maternal obesity-mediated proinflammatory state during pregnancy. Maternal C-reactive protein (CRP) level during pregnancy is a biomarker of low-grade systemic inflammation.



Among 1,116 mother-child pairs, this study examined associations of maternal second-trimester CRP plasma level, measured by high-sensitivity CRP arrays, with mid-childhood DXA fat mass index (FMI), trunk fat mass index (trunkFMI), fat-free mass index (FFMI), and early and mid-childhood BMI-z and waist circumference (WC). Main analyses were adjusted for maternal sociodemographic and lifestyle-related characteristics, gestational age at blood draw, and child's age and sex.



Higher maternal CRP level was associated with higher mid-childhood FMI and trunkFMI (adjusted difference: 0.15 kg/m(2) [95% CI: 0.01, 0.29] [P = 0.04] and 0.06 kg/m(2) [95% CI: 0.00, 0.12] [P = 0.06], per SD increment in maternal CRP, respectively), but not FFMI. Higher maternal CRP level was associated with higher early and mid-childhood BMI-z and WC in the basic models [P < 0.05], but these associations attenuated after adjustment for maternal characteristics (adjusted difference in early and mid-childhood BMI-z and WC: 0.05 [95% CI: -0.03, 0.13] [P = 0.20], 0.10 cm [95% CI: -0.17, 0.37] [P = 0.46], 0.07 [95% CI: -0.01, 0.14] [P = 0.09], 0.34 cm [95% CI: -0.25, 0.94] [P = 0.26], per SD increment in maternal CRP, respectively).



Higher second-trimester maternal CRP level was associated with higher mid-childhood overall and central adiposity.
The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.|Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Romy
R
Gaillard
Obesity Prevention Program, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Sheryl L
SL
Rifas-Shiman
Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.|Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Wei
W
Perng
Obesity Prevention Program, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.|Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Emily
E
Oken
Obesity Prevention Program, Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.|Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Matthew W
MW
Gillman
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D050154:Adiposity; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055105:Waist Circumference
D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein