Association between maternal lipids during pregnancy and risk of offspring's overweight and obesity at 3 years of age

ZHANG Lifang; HE Zhaocong; WEI Dongmei; LU Jinhua; KUANG Yashu; LU Minshan; SHAO Dantong; QIU Xiu; HE Jianrong

doi:10.16835/j.cnki.1000-9817.2025237

Volume 46 Issue 8

Aug. 2025

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ZHANG Lifang, HE Zhaocong, WEI Dongmei, LU Jinhua, KUANG Yashu, LU Minshan, SHAO Dantong, QIU Xiu, HE Jianrong. Association between maternal lipids during pregnancy and risk of offspring's overweight and obesity at 3 years of age[J]. CHINESE JOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH, 2025, 46(8): 1074-1078. doi: 10.16835/j.cnki.1000-9817.2025237

Citation:

ZHANG Lifang, HE Zhaocong, WEI Dongmei, LU Jinhua, KUANG Yashu, LU Minshan, SHAO Dantong, QIU Xiu, HE Jianrong. Association between maternal lipids during pregnancy and risk of offspring's overweight and obesity at 3 years of age[J]. CHINESE JOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH, 2025, 46(8): 1074-1078. doi: 10.16835/j.cnki.1000-9817.2025237

Citation:

ZHANG Lifang, HE Zhaocong, WEI Dongmei, LU Jinhua, KUANG Yashu, LU Minshan, SHAO Dantong, QIU Xiu, HE Jianrong. Association between maternal lipids during pregnancy and risk of offspring's overweight and obesity at 3 years of age[J]. CHINESE JOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH, 2025, 46(8): 1074-1078. doi: 10.16835/j.cnki.1000-9817.2025237

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Association between maternal lipids during pregnancy and risk of offspring's overweight and obesity at 3 years of age

doi: 10.16835/j.cnki.1000-9817.2025237

1.
The Research Laboratory of the Born in Guangzhou Cohort Study, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510623, Guangdong Province, China

Received Date: 2025-01-02
Rev Recd Date: 2025-02-28

Available Online: 2025-08-30

Publish Date: 2025-08-25

Abstract

Abstract

Objective To explore the association between maternal lipid levels during pregnancy and the risk of overweight and obesity in offspring at 3 years of age, providing scientific evidences for the prevention and control of childhood obesity. Methods A total of 2 432 mother-child pairs with maternal lipid tests during pregnancy and offspring's physical growth data at 3 years of age were included from the Borin in Guangzhou Cohort Study up to September 2021. Lipid indicators, including high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C), triglycerides (TG), and total cholesterol (TC), were measured at 13-19⁺⁶ weeks (mid-pregnancy) and 32-39⁺⁶ weeks (late pregnancy). Children's body mass index (BMI) Z score were calculated according to the World Health Organization's growth standards for children under 5 years old. The lipid Z score were divided into four quartiles: Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4. Linear regression was used to analyze the relationship between maternal lipid levels during pregnancy and offspring's BMI Z score at 3 years of age. Poisson regression with a robust error variance was employed to evaluate the association between maternal lipid levels during pregnancy and the at-risk of overweight and obesity in offspring at 3 years of age, after adjusting for maternal age at conception, education level, parity, pre-pregnancy BMI and gestational diabetes mellitus. Results There was a statistically significnt difference in the detection rate of overweight and obesity risk among children with different mothers's pre-pregnancy BMI (χ²=22.85, P < 0.05). Linear regression analysis showed that TG levels in late-pregnancy were positively related to BMI Z score (β=0.10, 95%CI=0.02-0.18, P < 0.05). Poisson regression with a robust error variance indicated that, compared with the Q1 group of TC, the Q4 group of TC in mid-pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of overweight and obesity in offspring at 3 years of age (RR=1.59, 95%CI=1.04-2.44); compared with the Q1 group of TG, the Q4 group of TG during late-pregnancy increased the risk of overweight and obesity in offspring at 3 years of age (RR=1.79, 95%CI=1.02-3.12) (both P < 0.05). Conclusions Maternal serum TC level during mid-pregnancy can increase the risk of overweight and obesity in offspring at 3 years of age. Maternal serum TG levels during late-pregnancy is positively correlated with BMI and the risk of overweight and obesity in offspring at 3 years of age.
- Plasma lipid,
- Overweight,
- Obesity,
- Regression analysis,
- Child, preschool

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References(22)

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