The effect of pre-pregnancy weight and gestational weight gain on blood pressure in children at 6 years of age

Abstract

Background: We evaluated the effect of maternal gestational weight gain (GWG) and pre-pregnancy weight on blood pressure (BP) of children 6 years after delivery.

Methods: Cross-sectional study that compared the anthropometric measurements of 181 mothers and their children's BP 6 years after delivery. The BP was measured by the auscultatory method. We used log-binomial regression to investigate the association of pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and GWG categories with BP in mid-childhood.

Results: The prevalence of elevated BP in children was 26.5%. Maternal pre-pregnancy overweight and concurrent excessive GWG were positively associated with elevated BP at 6 years of age. Mothers with pre-pregnancy overweight and excessive GWG were more likely to have children with elevated BP at 6 years of age (OR = 2.05; P = 0.018) compared to mothers who were of normal weight pre-pregnancy and experienced appropriate GWG. We also found that mothers with pre-pregnancy BMI ≥25 kg/m2 and concurrent excessive GWG were more likely to have children with elevated diastolic blood pressure (OR = 2.72; P = 0.005).

Conclusions: Pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity had impact on BP in mid-childhood. Interventions aimed at reducing cardiovascular diseases in children should promote weight loss in women of reproductive age rather than in pregnant women.

Keywords: blood pressure; children; gestational weight gain; overweight; pre-pregnancy BMI.