title: The association between higher maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index and increased birth weight, adiposity and inflammation in the newborn.
abstract: Excess adiposity and adiposity-related inflammation are known risk factors for cardiovascular disease in adults; however, little is known regarding the determinants of adiposity-related inflammation at birth.
  
  
  
  The aim of this study was to investigate the association between maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and newborn adiposity and inflammation.
  
  
  
  Paired maternal (28-week gestation) and infant (umbilical cord) blood samples were collected from a population-derived birth cohort (Barwon Infant Study, n = 1074). Data on maternal comorbidities and infant birth anthropomorphic measures were compiled, and infant aortic intima-media thickness was measured by trans-abdominal ultrasound. In a selected subgroup of term infants (n = 161), matched maternal and cord lipids, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and maternal soluble CD14 were measured. Analysis was completed by using pairwise correlation and linear regression. Because of their non-normal distribution, pathology blood measures were log transformed prior to analysis.
  
  
  
  Maternal pre-pregnancy BMI was positively associated with increased birth weight (mean difference 17.8 g per kg m-2, 95% CI 6.6 to 28.9; p = 0.002), newborn mean skin-fold thickness (mean difference 0.1 mm per kg m-2, 95% CI 0.0 to 0.1; p < 0.001) and cord blood hsCRP (mean difference of 4.2% increase in hsCRP per kg m-2increase in pre-pregnancy BMI, 95% CI 0.6 to 7.7%, p = 0.02), but not cord blood soluble CD14. Inclusion of maternal hsCRP as a covariate attenuated the associations between pre-pregnancy BMI and both newborn skin-fold thickness and cord blood hsCRP.
  
  
  
  Higher maternal pre-pregnancy BMI is associated with increased newborn adiposity and inflammation. These associations may be partially mediated by maternal inflammation during pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Australia.|Child Health Research Unit, Barwon Health, Geelong, Australia.|Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McCloskey
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Australia.|Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
authors.forename: A-L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Ponsonby
authors.affiliation: Child Health Research Unit, Barwon Health, Geelong, Australia.|Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Collier
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Australia.|Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Australia.|Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
authors.forename: M L K
authors.initials: MLK
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Australia.|Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Carlin
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Australia.|Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saffery
authors.affiliation: Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise and Eating Disorders, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Skilton
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Australia.|Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Australia.|Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ranganathan
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Australia.|Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dwyer
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Australia.|Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.|Department of Paediatrics, Monash University, Clayton, Australia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Burgner
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Australia.|Child Health Research Unit, Barwon Health, Geelong, Australia.|Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vuillermin
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000378:metabolism; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D012885:Skinfold Thickness
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D002097:C-Reactive Protein
keywords: Neonatal; obesity; offspring; pregnancy