Multigenerational Cardiometabolic Risk as a Predictor of Birth Outcomes: The Bogalusa Heart Study.
To examine the relationship between generation 1 (grandmaternal) cardiometabolic risk factors and generation 3 (grandchild's) birthweight and gestational age.



Mother-daughter pairs in the Bogalusa Heart Study (1973-present) were linked to their children's birth certificates; women were also interviewed about their reproductive histories, creating a 3-generation linkage including 177 generation 1 (grandmothers), 210 generation 2 (mothers), and 424 generation 3 (children). Prepregnancy cardiometabolic risk factors (body mass index [BMI], lipids, glucose) or generation 1 (mean age 16.2 years) and 2 (mean age 11.1 years) were examined as predictors of generation 3 birthweight and gestational age using linear and logistic regression with adjustment for age, race, parity, and other confounders.



Generation 2 higher BMI was associated with higher birthweight (28 g per 1 unit, 95% CI 12-44) and gestational age (0.08 weeks, 95% CI 0.02-0.14) in generation 3, and generation 1 higher BMI was associated with higher birthweight (52 g, 95% CI 34-70) in the generation 2. Generation 1's higher glucose levels were associated with higher birthweight in generation 3 (adjusted beta 111 g, 95% CI 33-189), and triglycerides (adjusted beta -21, 95% CI -43-0) and low-density lipoprotein (adjusted beta -24, 95% CI -48-0) were associated with lower birthweight.



These results suggest the possibility of multigenerational developmental programming of birth outcomes, although mechanisms (whether biological or environmental) are undetermined.
Department of Epidemiology, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA. Electronic address: harville@tulane.edu.
Emily W
EW
Harville
Children's National Health System, Division of Biostatistics and Study Methodology, Washington, DC.
Marni B
MB
Jacobs
Department of Epidemiology, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA.
Lu
L
Qi
Department of Epidemiology, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA.
Wei
W
Chen
Department of Epidemiology, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA.
Lydia A
LA
Bazzano
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001724:Birth Weight; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015988:Cohort Effect; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D000066502:Grandparents; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D009035:Mothers; D009679:Nuclear Family; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D018570:Risk Assessment
birthweight; blood glucose; body mass index; gestational age; lipids