Dataset Information

Analysis of Maternal Prenatal Weight and Offspring Cognition and Behavior: Results From the Promotion of Breastfeeding Intervention Trial (PROBIT) Cohort.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Prenatal experiences can influence fetal brain development.

Objective

To examine associations of maternal prenatal body mass index (BMI) with cognition and behavior of offspring born full-term.

Design, setting, and participants

This cohort study examined follow-up data from a breastfeeding promotion intervention at 31 hospitals and affiliated polyclinics in the Republic of Belarus. Participants included 11 276 children who were evaluated from birth (1996-1997) to adolescence (2017-2019), with maternal BMI information available in prenatal medical records.

Exposures

Maternal BMI, calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared, after 35 weeks gestation; secondary analyses examined maternal BMI at other time points and paternal BMI.

Main outcomes and measures

Trained pediatricians assessed child cognition with the Wechsler Abbreviated Scales of Intelligence (WASI) at 6.5 years and the computerized self-administered NeuroTrax battery at 16 years, both with an approximate mean (SD) of 100 (15). Parents and teachers rated behaviors at 6.5 years using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ, range 0-40). Mixed-effects linear regression analyses corrected for clustering, adjusted for the randomized intervention group and baseline parental sociodemographic characteristics, and were considered mediation by child BMI.

Results

Among 11 276 participants, 9355 women (83%) were aged 20 to 34 years, 10 128 (89.8%) were married, and 11 050 (98.0%) did not smoke during pregnancy. Each 5-unit increase in of maternal late-pregnancy BMI (mean [SD], 27.2 [3.8]) was associated with lower offspring WASI performance intelligence quotient (IQ) (-0.52 points; 95% CI, -0.87 to -0.17 points) at 6.5 years and lower scores on 5 of 7 NeuroTrax subscales and the global cognitive score at 16 years (-0.67 points; 95% CI, -1.06 to -0.29 points). Results were similar after adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics, pregnancy complications, and paternal BMI and were not mediated by child weight. Higher late pregnancy maternal BMI was also associated with more behavioral problems reported on the SDQ by teachers but not associated with parent-reported behaviors (externalizing behaviors: 0.13 points; 95% CI, 0.02 to 0.24 points; and total difficulties: 0.14 points, 95% CI, -0.02 to 0.30 points). Results were similar for maternal BMI measured in the first trimester or postpartum. In contrast, higher 6.5-year paternal BMI was associated with slightly better child cognition (WASI verbal IQ: 0.42 points; 95% CI, 0.02 to 0.82 points; NeuroTrax executive function score: 0.68 points; 95% CI, 0.24 to 1.12 points) and fewer teacher-reported behavioral problems (total difficulties: -0.29 points; 95% CI, -0.46 to -0.11 points).

Conclusions and relevance

This cohort study supports findings from animal experiments and human observational studies in settings with higher maternal BMI and obesity rates. Higher maternal prenatal BMI may be associated with poorer offspring brain development, although residual confounding cannot be excluded.

SUBMITTER: Oken E

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8377565 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:The PROmotion of Breastfeeding Intervention Trial (PROBIT) is a multicentre, cluster-randomized controlled trial conducted in the Republic of Belarus, in which the experimental intervention was the promotion of increased breastfeeding duration and exclusivity, modelled on the Baby-friendly hospital initiative. Between June 1996 and December 1997, 17,046 mother-infant pairs were recruited during their postpartum hospital stay from 31 maternity hospitals, of which 16 hospitals and their affiliated polyclinics had been randomly assigned to the arm of PROBIT investigating the promotion of breastfeeding and 15 had been assigned to the control arm, in which breastfeeding practices and policies in effect at the time of randomization was continued. Of the mother-infant pairs originally recruited for the study, 16,492 (96.7%) were followed at regular intervals until the infants were 12 months of age (PROBIT I) for the outcomes of breastfeeding duration and exclusivity; gastrointestinal and respiratory infections; and atopic eczema. Subsequently, 13,889 (81.5%) of the children from these mother-infant pairs were followed-up at age 6.5 years (PROBIT II) for anthropometry, blood pressure (BP), behaviour, dental health, cognitive function, asthma and atopy outcomes, and 13,879 (81.4%) children were followed to the age of 11.5 years (PROBIT III) for anthropometry, body composition, BP, and the measurement of fasted glucose, insulin, adiponectin, insulin-like growth factor-I, and apolipoproteins. The trial registration number for Current Controlled Trials is ISRCTN37687716 and that for ClinicalTrials.gov is NCT01561612. Proposals for collaboration are welcome, and enquires about PROBIT should be made to an executive group of the study steering committee (M.S.K., R.M.M., and E.O.). More information, including information about how to access the trial data, data collection documents, and bibliography, is available at the trial website (http://www.bristol.ac.uk/social-community-medicine/projects/probit/).

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