Maternal obesity and attention-related symptoms in the preterm offspring

Abstract

Background: Maternal pre-pregnancy obesity, in term-born children, is associated with an increased risk of attention problems, however this relationship has not been explored among children born extremely preterm.

Aim: To estimate the risk of attention problems at age 10years in children born very preterm to overweight (i.e., body mass index (BMI) 25-29kg/m²) and obese (i.e., BMI≥30kg/m²) women relative to the risk among children born to women who were neither overweight nor obese (i.e. BMI<25kg/m²).

Study design: Multi-center prospective cohort study.

Methods: A total of 764 children born before the 28th week of gestation and whose mother's pre-pregnancy height and pre-pregnancy weight were obtained at birth had an IQ≥70 at age 10years when parents and teachers completed Child Symptom Inventory-4 questionnaires that included items about the presence of ADHD.

Results: Compared to children whose mother's pre-pregnancy weight was in the normal range (BMI<25kg/m²), children were at increased risk of parent-identified ADHD behaviors if their mother was overweight (odds ratio (OR)=1.9; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.1, 3.3), or obese (OR=2.3; 95% CI: 1.4, 3.9). They were not at increased risk of teacher-identified ADHD characteristics if their mother was overweight before her pregnancy (OR=1.0; 95% CI: 0.6, 1.8), or obese (OR=1.0; 95% CI: 0.6, 1.6).

Conclusion: Maternal overweight and obesity are associated with increased risk of parent-identified ADHD characteristics at 10years of age in children born extremely preterm.