Determining the interplay of prenatal parental body-mass-index (BMI) in shaping child BMI trajectories: the CHILD Cohort Study
Authors' conclusion
Children of fathers with obesity had higher odds of being in the rapid BMI growth trajectory, particularly when also the mother was with overweight or obesity. These results support the need for preconception advice and interventions for couples to optimize their offspring's health.
Study context
- Population
- Children of parents enrolled in early pregnancy in the Canadian CHILD Cohort Study; child BMI collected from birth to age five
- Participants
- 2,238 children
- Exposure
- Prenatal paternal obesity vs normal weight, stratified by maternal weight
- Outcome
- Classification in the rapid growth BMIz trajectory
- Follow-up
- Birth to age five
Methodological detailsgroup-based trajectory modeling, weighted multinomial logistic regression, stratified by maternal weight categories
- Group-based trajectory modeling
- Weighted multinomial logistic regression
- Stratified by maternal weight categories
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Rapid growth BMIz trajectory
Odds ratio (95% CI)
Fathers with obesityvs Normal-weight fatherschildren of normal-weight mothers
1.86(1.22–2.84)
Mothers and fathers with obesityboth parents with obesity
4.35(2.65–7.14)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Offspring BMIz trajectory groups · birth to age five
- Low stable
- n = 220, 9.83%
- Normative
- n = 1 356, 60.59%
- High stable
- n = 572, 25.56%
- Rapid BMIz growth
- n = 90, 4.02%
Prenatal paternal BMI · mean prenatal
- Mean prenatal paternal BMI
- 27.44 (SD = 4.77)
- Fathers with obesity
- 22.83%
Original publication
Determining the interplay of prenatal parental BMI in shaping child BMI trajectories: the CHILD Cohort Study. Int J Obes (Lond). Published 12 May 2025. doi:10.
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