Associations of Maternal Pre‐Pregnancy BMI With Frontostriatal Connectivity in Young Children
Authors' conclusion
Our analysis found that increased BMI during pregnancy was associated with stronger positive frontostriatal connectivity in young children. Prospective studies incorporating gold-standard measures of maternal and child adiposity and metabolic health as well as behavioural and cognitive measures are needed to understand implications and inform future interventions.
Study context
- Population
- Children aged 2–11 years from the RESONANCE cohort, born to mothers ranging in pre-pregnancy BMI (mean ± SD 26.8 ± 7.8, range 18.3–50.1)
- Participants
- 83 children
- Exposure
- Higher vs lower maternal pre-pregnancy BMI
- Outcome
- Child functional connectivity of the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) with three frontal cortex regions
Methodological detailsresting state functional MRI
- Resting state functional MRI
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
NAcc connectivity with rostral prefrontal cortex and frontal pole
- Higher maternal pre-pregnancy BMI associated with stronger positive connectivity of nucleus accumbens (NAcc) with rostral prefrontal cortex and frontal pole
- Adjusted for maternal education and child sex, age and current BMIz
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Stratified sensitivity analyses
- Child effects driven by weight variation among mothers with higher weights rather than an effect of lower maternal weight
Original publication
Associations of Maternal Pre‐Pregnancy BMI With Frontostriatal Connectivity in Young Children. Pediatr Obes. Published 29 March 2026. doi:10.
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