Associations of maternal obesity and excessive weight gain during pregnancy with subcutaneous fat mass in infancy

Background Not much is known about the associations of maternal obesity and excessive gestational weight gain with body fat in infancy. Objective To examine the associations of maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index and gestational weight gain with infant subcutaneous fat. Methods In a population-based prospective cohort study among 845 mothers and their infants, we obtained maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index and measured maternal weight during pregnancy. At 1.5, 6 and 24 months, we estimated infant total subcutaneous fat (sum of biceps, triceps, suprailiacal and subscapular skinfold thicknesses) and central-to-total subcutaneous fat ratio (sum of suprailiacal and subscapular skinfold thicknesses/total subcutaneous fat). Results Maternal body mass index was positively associated with higher infant body mass index from 6 months onwards. Maternal body mass index was not associated with infant subcutaneous fat measures at 1.5 or 6 months. A 1-standard deviation scores (SDS) higher maternal body mass index was associated with a 0.09 (95% Confidence Interval 0.01, 0.17) SDS higher infant total subcutaneous fat at 24 months, but not with central-to-total subcutaneous fat ratio. No associations were present for maternal total or period-specific gestational weight gain with infant fat. Conclusion Maternal body mass index was positively associated with infant body mass index and total subcutaneous fat in late infancy. Maternal total and period-specific gestational weight gain were not associated with infant body fat mass measures.

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