Abstract
Aim This study investigated whether newborn body composition is influenced by prepregnancy obesity and gestational weight gain (GWG) and explored any associations between body composition and birthweight standard score (z-score), categorised by size for gestational age. Methods We recruited 231 obese and 80 normal weight mothers and their newborn infants and assessed the babies' body composition using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Results The total and abdominal fat masses of infants born to mother who were obese before pregnancy were 135 g (p < 0.001) and 18 g (p < 0.001) higher than the offspring of normal weight mothers. The infants' fat mass increased by 11 g (p < 0.001) for every kilogram of GWG. There were no associations between prepregnancy obesity and fat-free mass. The fat percentage was significantly higher in infants who were large for gestational age (15.3%) than small for gestational age (5.2%) and appropriate for gestational age (9.8%) (p < 0.001). Lower birthweight z-score was associated with a higher proportion of abdominal fat mass (p = 0.009). Conclusion Infants born to obese mothers had higher fat mass at birth, with abdominal fat accumulation. Low birthweight was associated with a lower crude abdominal fat mass, but a higher proportion of total fat mass placed abdominally.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Acta Paediatrica |
| Volume | 103 |
| Issue number | 9 |
| Pages (from-to) | 939-945 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| ISSN | 0803-5253 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Sept 2014 |
