TY - JOUR
T1 - Genetic Evidence for Causal Relationships Between Maternal Obesity-Related Traits and Birth Weight
AU - Tyrrell, Jessica
AU - Richmond, Rebecca C
AU - Palmer, Tom M
AU - Feenstra, Bjarke
AU - Rangarajan, Janani
AU - Metrustry, Sarah
AU - Cavadino, Alana
AU - Paternoster, Lavinia
AU - Armstrong, Loren L
AU - De Silva, N Maneka G
AU - Wood, Andrew R
AU - Horikoshi, Momoko
AU - Geller, Frank
AU - Myhre, Ronny
AU - Bradfield, Jonathan P
AU - Kreiner-Møller, Eskil
AU - Huikari, Ville
AU - Painter, Jodie N
AU - Hottenga, Jouke Jan
AU - Allard, Catherine
AU - Berry, Diane J
AU - Bouchard, Luigi
AU - Das, Shikta
AU - Evans, David M
AU - Hakonarson, Hakon
AU - Hayes, M Geoffrey
AU - Heikkinen, Jani
AU - Hofman, Albert
AU - Knight, Bridget A
AU - Lind, Penelope A
AU - McCarthy, Mark I
AU - McMahon, George
AU - Medland, Sarah E.
AU - Melbye, Mads
AU - Morris, Andrew P
AU - Nodzenski, Michael
AU - Reichetzeder, Christoph
AU - Ring, Susan M
AU - Sebert, Sylvain
AU - Sengpiel, Verena
AU - Sørensen, Thorkild I A
AU - Willemsen, Gonneke
AU - de Geus, Eco J C
AU - Martin, Nicholas G.
AU - Spector, Tim D
AU - Power, Christine
AU - Järvelin, Marjo-Riitta
AU - Bisgaard, Hans
AU - Grant, Struan F A
AU - Nohr, Ellen A
AU - Early Growth Genetics (EGG) Consortium
PY - 2016/3/15
Y1 - 2016/3/15
N2 - IMPORTANCE: Neonates born to overweight or obese women are larger and at higher risk of birth complications. Many maternal obesity-related traits are observationally associated with birth weight, but the causal nature of these associations is uncertain.OBJECTIVE: To test for genetic evidence of causal associations of maternal body mass index (BMI) and related traits with birth weight.DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Mendelian randomization to test whether maternal BMI and obesity-related traits are potentially causally related to offspring birth weight. Data from 30,487 women in 18 studies were analyzed. Participants were of European ancestry from population- or community-based studies in Europe, North America, or Australia and were part of the Early Growth Genetics Consortium. Live, term, singleton offspring born between 1929 and 2013 were included.EXPOSURES: Genetic scores for BMI, fasting glucose level, type 2 diabetes, systolic blood pressure (SBP), triglyceride level, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level, vitamin D status, and adiponectin level.MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURE: Offspring birth weight from 18 studies.RESULTS: Among the 30,487 newborns the mean birth weight in the various cohorts ranged from 3325 g to 3679 g. The maternal genetic score for BMI was associated with a 2-g (95% CI, 0 to 3 g) higher offspring birth weight per maternal BMI-raising allele (P = .008). The maternal genetic scores for fasting glucose and SBP were also associated with birth weight with effect sizes of 8 g (95% CI, 6 to 10 g) per glucose-raising allele (P = 7 × 10(-14)) and -4 g (95% CI, -6 to -2 g) per SBP-raising allele (P = 1×10(-5)), respectively. A 1-SD ( ≈ 4 points) genetically higher maternal BMI was associated with a 55-g higher offspring birth weight (95% CI, 17 to 93 g). A 1-SD ( ≈ 7.2 mg/dL) genetically higher maternal fasting glucose concentration was associated with 114-g higher offspring birth weight (95% CI, 80 to 147 g). However, a 1-SD ( ≈ 10 mm Hg) genetically higher maternal SBP was associated with a 208-g lower offspring birth weight (95% CI, -394 to -21 g). For BMI and fasting glucose, genetic associations were consistent with the observational associations, but for systolic blood pressure, the genetic and observational associations were in opposite directions.CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this mendelian randomization study, genetically elevated maternal BMI and blood glucose levels were potentially causally associated with higher offspring birth weight, whereas genetically elevated maternal SBP was potentially causally related to lower birth weight. If replicated, these findings may have implications for counseling and managing pregnancies to avoid adverse weight-related birth outcomes.
AB - IMPORTANCE: Neonates born to overweight or obese women are larger and at higher risk of birth complications. Many maternal obesity-related traits are observationally associated with birth weight, but the causal nature of these associations is uncertain.OBJECTIVE: To test for genetic evidence of causal associations of maternal body mass index (BMI) and related traits with birth weight.DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Mendelian randomization to test whether maternal BMI and obesity-related traits are potentially causally related to offspring birth weight. Data from 30,487 women in 18 studies were analyzed. Participants were of European ancestry from population- or community-based studies in Europe, North America, or Australia and were part of the Early Growth Genetics Consortium. Live, term, singleton offspring born between 1929 and 2013 were included.EXPOSURES: Genetic scores for BMI, fasting glucose level, type 2 diabetes, systolic blood pressure (SBP), triglyceride level, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level, vitamin D status, and adiponectin level.MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURE: Offspring birth weight from 18 studies.RESULTS: Among the 30,487 newborns the mean birth weight in the various cohorts ranged from 3325 g to 3679 g. The maternal genetic score for BMI was associated with a 2-g (95% CI, 0 to 3 g) higher offspring birth weight per maternal BMI-raising allele (P = .008). The maternal genetic scores for fasting glucose and SBP were also associated with birth weight with effect sizes of 8 g (95% CI, 6 to 10 g) per glucose-raising allele (P = 7 × 10(-14)) and -4 g (95% CI, -6 to -2 g) per SBP-raising allele (P = 1×10(-5)), respectively. A 1-SD ( ≈ 4 points) genetically higher maternal BMI was associated with a 55-g higher offspring birth weight (95% CI, 17 to 93 g). A 1-SD ( ≈ 7.2 mg/dL) genetically higher maternal fasting glucose concentration was associated with 114-g higher offspring birth weight (95% CI, 80 to 147 g). However, a 1-SD ( ≈ 10 mm Hg) genetically higher maternal SBP was associated with a 208-g lower offspring birth weight (95% CI, -394 to -21 g). For BMI and fasting glucose, genetic associations were consistent with the observational associations, but for systolic blood pressure, the genetic and observational associations were in opposite directions.CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this mendelian randomization study, genetically elevated maternal BMI and blood glucose levels were potentially causally associated with higher offspring birth weight, whereas genetically elevated maternal SBP was potentially causally related to lower birth weight. If replicated, these findings may have implications for counseling and managing pregnancies to avoid adverse weight-related birth outcomes.
KW - Adult
KW - Birth Weight
KW - Blood Glucose
KW - Blood Pressure
KW - Body Mass Index
KW - Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
KW - European Continental Ancestry Group
KW - Fasting
KW - Female
KW - Genotype
KW - Humans
KW - Infant, Newborn
KW - Mendelian Randomization Analysis
KW - Obesity
KW - Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
KW - Pregnancy
KW - Triglycerides
KW - Journal Article
KW - Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
KW - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
U2 - 10.1001/jama.2016.1975
DO - 10.1001/jama.2016.1975
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 26978208
SN - 0098-7484
VL - 315
SP - 1129
EP - 1140
JO - J A M A: The Journal of the American Medical Association
JF - J A M A: The Journal of the American Medical Association
IS - 11
ER -