Maternal Overnutrition in Pregnancy Predicts Greater Body Mass Index Gains in Offspring by Early Midlife: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Szimonetta Eitmann, Péter Mátrai, Péter Hegyi et al.
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In 30 seconds
This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed whether maternal pre-pregnancy BMI (ppBMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG) are associated with offspring adiposity in adulthood, and whether associations differ by sex. Across 29 studies involving 430,764 mother-offspring pairs, higher maternal ppBMI was associated with greater offspring BMI, body fat percentage, and waist circumference. Each 1 kg/m² increase in maternal ppBMI was linked to a 0.4 kg/m² higher offspring BMI and 0.35% more body fat. Excessive GWG was also associated with higher offspring overweight/obesity odds, with stronger associations in early midlife.
Key findings
- Each 1 kg/m² increase in maternal ppBMI was associated with a 0.4 kg/m² higher offspring BMI and 0.35% more body fat.
- Excessive GWG was associated with 35% higher odds of offspring overweight/obesity than adequate GWG.
- In early midlife, each additional kilogram of GWG was linked to a 0.14 kg/m² higher offspring BMI, independent of ppBMI.
- Associations between maternal overweight/obesity and offspring BMI or waist circumference were especially pronounced in females.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that associations between maternal nutritional status and offspring adiposity may persist beyond childhood and into adulthood, particularly early midlife. They highlight pregnancy-related weight measures as relevant to long-term obesity risk assessment and support attention to maternal nutrition across the preconception and pregnancy periods, while the evidence remains observational.
What to keep in mind
The meta-analysis synthesised human studies of associations; it cannot establish that maternal ppBMI or GWG causes adult offspring adiposity.