Birth cohort study on the impact of adverse maternal factors during pregnancy on children's physical growth and development

WANG Haijun; LÜ Jinlang

doi:10.16835/j.cnki.1000-9817.2025236

Volume 46 Issue 8

Aug. 2025

Turn off MathJax

Article Contents

Article Navigation > CHINESE JOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH > 2025 > 46(8): 1065-1069

WANG Haijun, LÜ Jinlang. Birth cohort study on the impact of adverse maternal factors during pregnancy on children's physical growth and development[J]. CHINESE JOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH, 2025, 46(8): 1065-1069. doi: 10.16835/j.cnki.1000-9817.2025236

Citation:

WANG Haijun, LÜ Jinlang. Birth cohort study on the impact of adverse maternal factors during pregnancy on children's physical growth and development[J]. CHINESE JOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH, 2025, 46(8): 1065-1069. doi: 10.16835/j.cnki.1000-9817.2025236

Citation:

PDF( 911 KB)

Birth cohort study on the impact of adverse maternal factors during pregnancy on children's physical growth and development

doi: 10.16835/j.cnki.1000-9817.2025236

Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China

Received Date: 2025-08-03
Rev Recd Date: 2025-08-07

Available Online: 2025-08-30

Publish Date: 2025-08-25

Abstract

Abstract

Cohort studies characterized by clear temporal sequencing, rigorous control of confounding factors, and other methodological strengths, has effectively promoted scientific exploration of the effects of pregnancy exposure on children's health. The review focuses on the impacts of adverse maternal factors during pregnancy on children's physical growth and development, sorts out the scientific evidence on the longitudinal association between adverse exposures (such as endocrine and metabolic disorders, environmental pollutants, lifestyle factors, and psychological stressors) and children' s growth trajectories in existing cohort studies, explores the path of transforming high-quality research results into potential public health intervention strategies to promote the in-depth development of health protection for children and adolescents, thereby contributing to enhancing population health and the long-term goal of sustainable societal development.
- Mothers,
- Pregnancy,
- Risk factors,
- Child,
- Growth and development,
- Cohort studies

FullText(HTML)

References(58)

References

[1]	BARKER D J. The fetal and infant origins of adult disease[J]. BMJ, 1990, 301(6761): 1111. doi: 10.1136/bmj.301.6761.1111
[2]	DING G, GAO Y, KAN H, et al. Environmental exposure and child health in China[J]. Environ Int, 2024, 187: 108722. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108722
[3]	BARRETT E S, AMES J L, EICK S M, et al. Advancing understanding of chemical exposures and maternal-child health through the U.S. Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program: a scoping review[J]. Curr Environ Health Rep, 2024, 11(3): 390-403. doi: 10.1007/s40572-024-00456-5
[4]	GAO H, WANG Y F, WANG Z W, et al. Prenatal phthalate exposure associated with age-specific alterations in markers of adiposity in offspring: a systematic review[J]. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf, 2022, 232: 113247. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113247
[5]	ZHOU M, WANG H, ZENG X, et al. Mortality, morbidity, and risk factors in China and its provinces, 1990-2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017[J]. Lancet, 2019, 394(10204): 1145-1158. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30427-1
[6]	LIN Y, JIANG Y, DU J, et al. The continuing evolution of birth cohort studies: achievements and challengest[J]. Biol Reprod, 2022, 107(1): 358-367. doi: 10.1093/biolre/ioac117
[7]	OLSEN J, MELBYE M, OLSEN S F, et al. The Danish National Birth Cohort: its background, structure and aim[J]. Scand J Public Health, 2001, 29(4): 300-307.
[8]	FRASER A, MACDONALD-WALLIS C, TILLING K, et al. Cohort profile: the Avon longitudinal study of parents and children: ALSPAC mothers cohort[J]. Int J Epidemiol, 2013, 42(1): 97-110. doi: 10.1093/ije/dys066
[9]	JADDOE V W V, VAN DUIJN C M, FRANCO O H, et al. The generation R study: design and cohort update 2012[J]. Eur J Epidemiol, 2012, 27(9): 739-756. doi: 10.1007/s10654-012-9735-1
[10]	ARAUJO W R M, SANTOS I S, BARROS F C, et al. Birth cohort studies and the early origins of adult health and disease[J]. NeoReviews, 2018, 19(6): e313-e321. doi: 10.1542/neo.19-6-e313
[11]	HUANG K, TONG J, TAO S, et al. Cohort profile: the Ma'anshan Birth Cohort (MABC) study[J]. Int J Epidemiol, 2024, 53(6): dyae142. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyae142
[12]	ZHANG J, TIAN Y, WANG W, et al. Cohort profile: the Shanghai Birth Cohort[J]. Int J Epidemiol, 2019, 48(1): 21-21g. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyy277
[13]	QIU X, LU J H, HE J R, et al. The born in Guangzhou Cohort Study (BIGCS)[J]. Eur J Epidemiol, 2017, 32(4): 337-346. doi: 10.1007/s10654-017-0239-x
[14]	胡志斌, 杜江波, 徐欣, 等. 中国国家出生队列建设背景和设计简介[J]. 中华流行病学杂志, 2021, 42(4): 569-574. HU Z B, DU J B, XU X, et al. Profile of China National Birth Cohort[J]. Chin J Epidemiol, 2021, 42(4): 569-574. (in Chinese)
[15]	JIN C, LIN L, HAN N, et al. Effects of dynamic change in fetuin-A levels from the first to the second trimester on insulin resistance and gestational diabetes mellitus: a nested case-control study[J]. BMJ Open Diabetes Res Care, 2020, 8(1): e000802. doi: 10.1136/bmjdrc-2019-000802
[16]	LUO Z C, LIU J M, FRASER W D. Large prospective birth cohort studies on environmental contaminants and child health: goals, challenges, limitations and needs[J]. Med Hypotheses, 2010, 74(2): 318-324. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2009.08.044
[17]	CANOVA C, CANTARUTTI A. Population-based birth cohort studies in epidemiology[J]. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2020, 17(15): 5276. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17155276
[18]	ALTERMAN N, YOUSSIM I, NEVO D, et al. Prenatal and postnatal exposure to NO₂ and rapid infant weight gain: a population-based cohort study[J]. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol, 2023, 37(8): 669-678. doi: 10.1111/ppe.13000
[19]	LIN Y, JIANG Y, DU J, et al. The continuing evolution of birth cohort studies: achievements and challenges[J]. Biol Reprod, 2022, 107(1): 358-367. doi: 10.1093/biolre/ioac117
[20]	CAMPBELL A, RUDAN I. Systematic review of birth cohort studies in Africa[J]. J Glob Health, 2011, 1(1): 46-58.
[21]	GESERICK M, VOGEL M, GAUSCHE R, et al. Acceleration of BMI in early childhood and risk of sustained obesity[J]. N Engl J Med, 2018, 379(14): 1303-1312. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1803527
[22]	BLOND K, VISTISEN D, AARESTRUP J, et al. Body mass index trajectories in childhood and incidence rates of type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease in adulthood: a cohort study[J]. Diabetes Res Clin Pract, 2022, 191: 110055. doi: 10.1016/j.diabres.2022.110055
[23]	YANG C, SUN X, LIU H, et al. Prenatal exposure to metal mixtures, body mass index trajectories in early life and effect modifiers: insights from a prospective birth cohort study[J]. J Hazard Mater, 2024, 477: 135220. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.135220
[24]	CHEN Y, WU L, WANG J, et al. Body mass index growth trajectories and body composition influencing factors: an ambidirectional preschooler cohort[J]. Nutrition, 2024, 125: 112500. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2024.112500
[25]	HUANG W, MEIR A Y, OLAPEJU B, et al. Defining longitudinal trajectory of body mass index percentile and predicting childhood obesity: methodologies and findings in the Boston Birth Cohort[J]. Precis Nutr, 2023, 2(2): e00037.
[26]	MICHAEL N, GUPTA V, FOGEL A, et al. Longitudinal characterization of determinants associated with obesogenic growth patterns in early childhood[J]. Int J Epidemiol, 2023, 52(2): 426-439. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyac177
[27]	MONTAZERI P, VRIJHEID M, MARTINEZ D, et al. Maternal metabolic health parameters during pregnancy in relation to early childhood BMI trajectories[J]. Obesity (Silver Spring), 2018, 26(3): 588-596. doi: 10.1002/oby.22095
[28]	DENG Y, TAM C H T, YANG A, et al. Association of maternal overweight and gestational diabetes mellitus with offspring adiposity trajectory: from birth to early adolescence[J]. Diabetologia, 2025, 10.1007/s00125-025-06468-6.
[29]	HU Z, HAN L, LIU J, et al. Prenatal metabolomic profiles mediate the effect of maternal obesity on early childhood growth trajectories and obesity risk: the conditions affecting neurocognitive development and learning in early childhood (CANDLE) study[J]. Am J Clin Nutr, 2022, 116(5): 1343-1353. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqac244
[30]	KIM J S, ALDERETE T L, CHEN Z, et al. Longitudinal associations of in utero and early life near-roadway air pollution with trajectories of childhood body mass index[J]. Environ Health, 2018, 17(1): 64. doi: 10.1186/s12940-018-0409-7
[31]	FLEISCH A F, RIFAS-SHIMAN S L, KOUTRAKIS P, et al. Prenatal exposure to traffic pollution: associations with reduced fetal growth and rapid infant weight gain[J]. Epidemiology, 2015, 26(1): 43-50. doi: 10.1097/EDE.0000000000000203
[32]	ZHOU S, LI T, HAN N, et al. The joint effects of prenatal exposure to PM_2.5 constituents and reduced fetal growth on children's accelerated growth in the first 3 years: a birth cohort study[J]. J Exp Sci Environ Epidemiol, 2025, 35(3): 502-510. doi: 10.1038/s41370-024-00658-x
[33]	LIAO J, YAN W, ZHANG Y, et al. Associations of preconception air pollution exposure with growth trajectory in young children: a prospective cohort study[J]. Environ Res, 2025, 267: 120665. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.120665
[34]	MA R, WANG P, ZHU Y, et al. Prenatal exposure to PM_2.5 and its composition on child growth trajectories in the first two years: a prospective birth cohort study[J]. Environ Pollut, 2024, 362: 124896. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124896
[35]	GAO Y, LUO J, ZHANG Y, et al. Prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and child growth trajectories in the first two years[J]. Environ Health Perspect, 2022, 130(3): 37006. doi: 10.1289/EHP9875
[36]	YANG M, CHEN Z, CAO Z, et al. Prenatal exposure to phthalates and child growth trajectories in the first 24 months of life[J]. Sci Total Environ, 2023, 898: 165518. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165518
[37]	MONTAZERI P, GVIL-OUMRAIT N, MARQUEZ S, et al. Prenatal exposure to multiple endocrine-disrupting chemicals and childhood BMI trajectories in the INMA cohort study[J]. Environ Health Perspect, 2023, 131(10): 107006. doi: 10.1289/EHP11103
[38]	XIONG C, CHEN K, XU L L, et al. Associations of prenatal exposure to bisphenols with BMI growth trajectories in offspring within the first two years: evidence from a birth cohort study in China[J]. World J Pediatr, 2024, 20(7): 701-711. doi: 10.1007/s12519-023-00767-x
[39]	王子函, 陶兴永. 孕期环境重金属暴露与儿童体格发育水平及生长轨迹关联的研究进展[J]. 环境与职业医学, 2024, 41(5): 586-591. WANG Z H, TAO X Y. Research progress on environmental heavy metal exposure during pregnancy and children's physical development level and growth trajectory[J]. J Environ Occup Med, 2024, 41(5): 586-591. (in Chinese)
[40]	李春刚, 严双琴, 高国朋, 等. 母亲孕期饮食模式与儿童早期BMI变化轨迹关联的队列研究[J]. 中华流行病学杂志, 2023, 44(11): 1769-1775. LI C G, YAN S Q, GAO G P, et al. A cohort study of relationship between maternal dietary patterns during pregnancy and early childhood BMI change trajectory[J]. Chin J Epidemiol, 2023, 44(11): 1769-1775. (in Chinese)
[41]	HU Z, TYLAVSKY F A, KOCAK M, et al. Effects of maternal dietary patterns during pregnancy on early childhood growth trajectories and obesity risk: the CANDLE study[J]. Nutrients, 2020, 12(2): 465. doi: 10.3390/nu12020465
[42]	PAPADOPOULOU E, BOTTON J, BRANTSÆTER A L, et al. Maternal caffeine intake during pregnancy and childhood growth and overweight: results from a large Norwegian prospective observational cohort study[J]. BMJ Open, 2018, 8(3): e018895. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-018895
[43]	JONES M A, WHITAKER K, TAVERNO R S E, et al. Maternal sedentary behavior and physical activity across pregnancy and early childhood growth[J]. Child Obes, 2022, 18(6): 399-408. doi: 10.1089/chi.2021.0202
[44]	MCCONNELL R, SHEN E, GILLILAND F D, et al. A longitudinal cohort study of body mass index and childhood exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke and air pollution: the Southern California children's health study[J]. Environ Health Perspect, 2015, 123(4): 360-366. doi: 10.1289/ehp.1307031
[45]	PI D, LEI S, CHANG W, et al. Maternal depression during pregnancy and children's physical development[J]. J Biomed Res, 2025, 39: 1-10.
[46]	BRÄUNER E V, LIM Y H, KOCH T, et al. Sex-dependent associations between maternal prenatal stressful life events, BMI trajectories and obesity risk in offspring: the Raine Study[J]. Compr Psychoneuroendocrinol, 2021, 7: 100066. doi: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2021.100066
[47]	ZHANG J, CLAYTON G L, OVERVAD K, et al. Exploring the importance of family socio-economic position on the association between parental BMI and offspring BMI trajectories[J]. Ann Epidemiol, 2024, 98: 59-67. doi: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2024.08.007
[48]	SILVA L M, VAN ROSSEM L, JANSEN P W, et al. Children of low socioeconomic status show accelerated linear growth in early childhood: results from the generation R study[J]. PLoS One, 2012, 7(5): e37356. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0037356
[49]	马文军, 何冠豪, 胡建雄. 加强环境复合暴露对人群健康影响研究[J]. 环境卫生学杂志, 2024, 14(9): 709-710. MA W J, HE G H, HU J X. Strengthen research on the health impacts of combined environmental exposures on human populations[J]. J Environ Hyg, 2024, 14(9): 709-710. (in Chinese)
[50]	MAO G, NACHMAN R M, SUN Q, et al. Individual and joint effects of early-life ambient PM_2.5 exposure and maternal prepregnancy obesity on childhood overweight or obesity[J]. Environ Health Perspect, 2017, 125(6): 067005. doi: 10.1289/EHP261
[51]	张丽芳, 何兆聪, 韦冬梅, 等. 孕期血脂水平与子代3岁儿童超重肥胖风险的关联[J]. 中国学校卫生, 2025, 46(8): 1074-1078. ZHANG L F, HE Z C, WEI D M, et al. Association between maternal lipids during pregnancy and risk of offspring's overweight or obesity at 3 years of age[J]. Chin J Sch Health, 2025, 46(8): 1074-1078. (in Chinese)
[52]	吴玉莹, 恩卡尔·努尔, 王佑新, 等. 妊娠期超重肥胖和子代代谢相关脂肪性肝病的Meta分析[J]. 中国学校卫生, 2025, 46(8): 1079-1083. WU Y Y, ENKAER N, WANG Y X, et al. Meta-analysis of maternal overweight/obesity during pregnancy and offspring metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease[J]. Chin J Sch Health, 2025, 46(8): 1079-1083. (in Chinese)
[53]	国汐如, 吕瑾莨, 苏涛, 等. 母亲孕前体质量指数和孕早期血脂与学龄前儿童超重肥胖风险的关联[J]. 中国学校卫生, 2025, 46(8): 1084-1087, 1092. GUO X R, LV J L, SU T. Association between body mass index during pre-pregnancy and maternal lipid levels during early pregnancy with the risk of overweight and obesity in preschool children[J]. Chin J Sch Health, 2025, 46(8): 1084-1087, 1092. (in Chinese)
[54]	张晓, 蒋杨倩, 庞丽雅, 等. 母亲孕早期金属暴露与子代1岁及3岁体格发育关联的前瞻性队列研究[J]. 中国学校卫生, 2025, 46(8): 1088-1092. ZHANG X, JIANG Y Q, PANG L Y, et al. A prospective cohort study of association between maternal metal exposure during early pregnancy and physical development in offspring at ages 1 and 3[J]. Chin J Sch Health, 2025, 46(8): 1088-1092. (in Chinese)
[55]	CECULA P. Artificial intelligence: the current state of affairs for AI in pregnancy and labour[J]. J Gynecol Obstet Hum Reprod, 2021, 50(7): 102048. doi: 10.1016/j.jogoh.2020.102048
[56]	LAMBRÉ C, BARAT B J M, BOLOGNESI C, et al. Re-evaluation of the risks to public health related to the presence of bisphenol A (BPA) in foodstuffs[J]. EFSA J, 2023, 21(4): e06857.
[57]	WEI J, LIN Y, LI Y, et al. Perinatal exposure to bisphenol A at reference dose predisposes offspring to metabolic syndrome in adult rats on a high-fat diet[J]. Endocrinology, 2011, 152(8): 3049-3061. doi: 10.1210/en.2011-0045
[58]	JIANG Y, LI J, XU S, et al. Prenatal exposure to bisphenol A and its alternatives and child neurodevelopment at 2 years[J]. J Hazard Mater, 2020, 388: 121774. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2019.121774