Association of Maternal Prepregnancy BMI With Offspring Cardiometabolic Outcomes in Childhood
Authors' conclusion
High maternal prepregnancy BMI was associated with a stepwise increase in offspring BMI in childhood. Preterm children had a higher probability of elevated blood pressure/hypertension than term children. These findings highlight a possible window of opportunity to modify lifestyles and behavior of at-risk children prior to adolescence to positively impact adolescent cardiometabolic health.
Study context
- Population
- Children in the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Cohort, born extremely, very, or moderately preterm, late preterm, or term
- Participants
- 13,810 children44 ECHO cohorts
- Exposure
- Maternal prepregnancy BMI levels; preterm vs term birth
- Outcome
- Offspring BMI and blood pressure in childhood
- Follow-up
- Childhood
Methodological detailsmulticohort (44 ECHO cohorts)
- Multicohort (44 ECHO cohorts)
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Child BMI z-scores by maternal prepregnancy BMI level
- Monotonic dose relationship between child BMI z-scores and maternal prepregnancy BMI level
- Adjusted for maternal education, maternal age at delivery, and singleton birth
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
- Only extremely preterm children of mothers with healthy weight and obesity, and very/moderately preterm children of mothers with healthy weight, had higher odds of elevated BP/hypertension vs term counterparts
Original publication
Association of Maternal Prepregnancy BMI With Offspring Cardiometabolic Outcomes in Childhood. Obesity (Silver Spring). Published 21 September 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →