Sub-optimal maternal gestational gain is associated with shorter leukocyte telomere length at birth in a predominantly Latinx cohort of newborns

Apurva Prasad; Jue Lin; Laura Jelliffe-Pawlowski; Kimberley Coleman-Phox; Larry Rand; Janet M Wojcicki

doi:10.1186/s40748-023-00167-z

Sub-optimal maternal gestational gain is associated with shorter leukocyte telomere length at birth in a predominantly Latinx cohort of newborns

Matern Health Neonatol Perinatol. 2023 Nov 3;9(1):14. doi: 10.1186/s40748-023-00167-z.

Authors

Apurva Prasad¹, Jue Lin², Laura Jelliffe-Pawlowski^{3

4}, Kimberley Coleman-Phox⁵, Larry Rand⁵, Janet M Wojcicki^{6

7}

Affiliations

¹ Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, USA.
² Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, USA.
³ Preterm Birth Initiative, University of California, San Francisco, USA.
⁴ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, USA.
⁵ Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, USA.
⁶ Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, USA. Janet.wojcicki@ucsf.edu.
⁷ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, USA. Janet.wojcicki@ucsf.edu.

Abstract

Objective: To assess in utero exposures associated with leukocyte telomere length (LTL) at birth and maternal LTL in a primarily Latinx birth cohort.

Study design: Mothers and newborns were recruited postnatally before 24 h of life. Newborn LTL was collected via heelstick at birth and maternal LTL was collected postnatally. LTL was determined by quantitative PCR. Using a longitudinal design, we evaluated associations between neonatal and maternal LTL and appropriate maternal gestational gain as indicated by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG).

Result: Mean infant LTL was 2.02 ± 0.30 T/S (n = 386) and maternal LTL was 1.54 ± 0.26 T/S (n = 58). Independent risk factors for shorter LTL at birth included longer gestational duration (Coeff:-0.03, 95%CI: -0.05-0.01;p < 0.01) and maternal gestational weight gain below ACOG recommendations (Coeff:-0.10, 95%CI: -0.18 - -0.02; p = 0.01).

Conclusion: Gestational weight gain below ACOG recommendations may adversely impact neonatal health in Latinx infants as indicated by shorter LTL at birth.

Abstract

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