Perinatal exposures and adolescence overweight: The role of shared maternal-offspring pathways

Abstract

Background and aims: Early life exposures affect offspring health across the life-course. We aimed to examine whether prevalent perinatal exposures and obstetric complications are independently associated with offspring overweight in adolescence. We then assessed whether shared maternal-offspring pathways drive the association of perinatal exposures with offspring overweight.

Methods: Using data from the Jerusalem Perinatal Study birth cohort, two perinatal scores were constructed: obstetric complications (OC) and prevalent perinatal exposures (PPE) scores. PPE score, generated by principal component analysis, included three primary components. Logistic regressions were used to assess associations of scores with offspring overweight, with and without adjustment for maternal life-course survival.

Results: OC and PPE scores were independently associated with offspring overweight (OR_OC = 1.15, 95%CI:1.07,1.25; OR_{PPE1- SEP and lifestyle} = 0.85, 95%CI:0.79,0.91; OR_{PPE2- Maternal body size} = 1.20, 95%CI: 1.13,1.28; OR_{PPE3-Fetal growth} = 1.18, 95%CI:1.11,1.26). Maternal survival was associated with offspring overweight (OR = 1.38, 95%CI:1.08,1.76), yet introducing PPE score to the same model attenuated this association (OR = 1.16, 95%CI:0.90, 1.49). When OC score and maternal survival were included in the same model, their associations with offspring overweight remained unchanged.

Conclusions: Mother-offspring shared factors, captured by maternal life-course survival, underlie the effect of prevalent perinatal exposures on offspring overweight. However, the effect of obstetric complications was independent, highlighting the contribution of additional pathways.

Keywords: Cohort study; DOHaD; Overweight; Perinatal exposures.