Dataset Information

Association of preeclampsia with anthropometric measures and blood pressure in Indian children.

ABSTRACT:

Background and objective

Birth weight and post-natal growth are important predictors of adult health. Preeclampsia (PE) is associated with low birth weight and may have long term effects on the health of the children. The current study aims to compare anthropometry and blood pressure between children of mothers with and without PE in an Indian cohort.

Methods

We studied children born to women with (PE; n = 211) and without preeclampsia (non-PE; n = 470) at Bharati Hospital, Pune, India. Anthropometry and blood pressure were measured in children at 3-7 years of age. Weight and height Z-scores were calculated using the WHO 2006 growth reference. Independent t-tests were used to compare means between the two groups, and associations between preeclampsia and child outcomes were analyzed using multiple linear regression, adjusting for potential confounders.

Results

Weight and height Z-scores (p = 0.04 and 0.008), and subscapular skinfold thickness (p = 0.03) were higher among children of PE compared with children of non-PE mothers. Systolic blood pressure was also higher in children of PE mothers (1.70 mmHg [95% CI 0.05, 2.90] p = 0.006). BMI and diastolic blood pressure did not differ between groups. In regression models adjusted for newborn weight and gestational age, current age and sex, and maternal height, BMI and socio-economic status, children of PE mothers had higher weight Z-score (0.27 SD [95%CI 0.06, 0.48] p = 0.01), height Z-score (0.28 SD [95%CI 0.09, 0.47] p = 0.005), and subscapular skinfold thickness (0.38 mm [95%CI 0.00, 0.76] p = 0.049). A trend for higher systolic blood pressure (1.59 mmHg [95%CI -0.02, 3.20] p = 0.053) in the children was also observed in the adjusted model. The difference in systolic blood pressure was attenuated after adjusting further for the child's weight and height (1.09 mmHg [95%CI -0.48, 2.67] p = 0.17). There was no evidence of differences in effects between boys and girls.

Conclusion

Children of PE mothers were taller and heavier, and had higher systolic blood pressure, partly explained by their increased body size, than children of non-PE mothers. In utero exposure to preeclampsia may increase the risk of future cardiovascular disease.

SUBMITTER: Randhir K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7199948 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Importance:Maternal prepregnancy body mass index (BMI; calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) has previously been associated with offspring cardiometabolic risk factors, such as fat mass, glucose and insulin levels, and blood pressure, but these associations appear to be largely mediated by offspring BMI. To our knowledge, no studies have assessed alterations in the retinal microvasculature in association with maternal prepregnancy BMI. Objective:To investigate the association between maternal prepregnancy BMI and anthropometric parameters, blood pressure, and retinal vessel parameters in children age 4 to 6 years. Design, Setting, and Participants:Participants included mother-child pairs of the population-based Environmental Influence on Early Aging (ENVIRONAGE) birth cohort study (Flanders, Belgium) who were recruited at birth from February 2010 to June 2014 and followed-up at age 4 to 6 years between October 2014 and July 2018. Data were analyzed from February 2019 to April 2019. Exposures:Maternal prepregnancy BMI based on height and weight measurements at the first antenatal visit (weeks 7-9 of gestation). Main Outcomes and Measures:Children's anthropometric, blood pressure, and retinal microcirculation measurements at age 4 to 6 years. Retinal vessel diameters and the tortuosity index, a measure for the curvature of the retinal vasculature, were obtained by fundus image analysis. Results:This study included 240 mothers and children with a mean (SD) age of 29.?9 (4.2) years and 54.8 (4.7) months, respectively. Of these, 114 children (47.5%) were boys. Maternal prepregnancy BMI was positively associated with the child's birth weight, BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, and retinal vessel tortuosity. A 1-point increase in maternal prepregnancy BMI was associated with a 0.26-mm Hg (95% CI, 0.08-0.44) higher mean arterial pressure for their children, with similar estimates for systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Independent from the association with blood pressure, a 1-point increase in maternal prepregnancy BMI was associated with a 0.40 (95% CI, 0.01-0.80) higher retinal tortuosity index (×?103). The hypothesis that these associations reflect direct intrauterine mechanisms is supported by the following observations: associations were independent of the current child's BMI and the estimates for paternal BMI at the follow-up visit did not reach significance. Conclusions and Relevance:Considering that blood pressure tracks from childhood into adulthood and microvascular changes may be early markers of cardiometabolic disease development, our results suggest that maternal prepregnancy BMI is an important modifiable risk factor for later-life cardiovascular health of the offspring.