The association of prenatal adiposity characteristics with early childhood overweight and obesity: findings from a large and diverse mother–child cohort
Authors' conclusion
Maternal ppBMI and GWG were independently associated with risk of OWO in early childhood OWO, with variations by child age and ethnicity
Study context
- Population
- Mother–child dyads in northern Virginia (2012–2019); Hispanic 32.08%, non-Hispanic 51.98% (15.94% missing); mean ppBMI 25.5 ± 5.4 kg/m², 35.46% with obesity; Gestational weight gain (GWG) 14.2 ± 6.8 kg, 40.8% EGWG
- Participants
- 2,899 mother-child dyads
- Exposure
- Maternal ppBMI, obesity and excess GWG vs lower ppBMI, no obesity and non-excess GWG
- Outcome
- Childhood overweight and obesity (OWO): >85th percentile of WHO growth charts
- Follow-up
- 36 months
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Childhood OWO risk
Relative risk (95% CI)
Higher ppBMIper 1.00 kg/m²
1.04(1.03–1.06)
Maternal obesity
1.64(1.26–2.13)
EGWG
1.38(1.09–1.74)
Per 1.00 kg/m², as printed
- Children with overweight at 36 months
- 25.4%
- Children with obesity at 36 months
- 10.5%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | P value |
|---|---|
| ppBMI and GWG association with OWO by maternal ethnicityNon-Hispanic vs Hispanic | interaction P = 0.02 |
ppBMI and GWG association with overweight and obesity (OWO) by maternal ethnicity
- Higher ppBMI and GWG associated with childhood OWO risk among non-Hispanic but not Hispanic mothers
Proportion of ppBMI-OWO association attributable to birth weight (causal mediation)
- Mediated by birth weight
- 26.8% (95% CI: 14.9%-55.9%)
Original publication
The association of prenatal adiposity characteristics with early childhood overweight and obesity: findings from a large and diverse mother–child cohort. Int J Obes (Lond). Published 14 April 2026. doi:10.
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