Journal
OBESITY
Volume 14, Issue 9, Pages 1647-1653Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1038/oby.2006.189
Keywords
pregnancy; pediatrics; placenta; glucocorticoids; child overweight
Categories
Funding
- NCRR NIH HHS [M01 RR002172, RR02172] Funding Source: Medline
- NHLBI NIH HHS [K24 HL068041, R01 HL075504-04, R01 HL064925-04, HL 64925, R01 HL064925, R01 HL075504, K24 HL068041-05, HL 68041, HL 75504] Funding Source: Medline
- NICHD NIH HHS [K23 HD044807-05, R01 HD034568, R37 HD034568, R01 HD034568-05, K23 HD044807, HD 44807, HD 34568] Funding Source: Medline
- NIDDK NIH HHS [P30 DK040561, P30 DK040561-11] Funding Source: Medline
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Objective: Animal models suggest that fetal exposure to glucocorticoids can program adiposity, especially central adiposity, later in life. We examined associations of maternal corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) levels in the late 2nd trimester of pregnancy, a marker of fetal glucocorticoid exposure, with child adiposity at age 3 years. Research Methods and Procedures: We analyzed data from 199 participants in Project Viva, a prospective cohort study of pregnant women and their children, At age 3 years, the main outcomes were age-sex-specific BMI z score and the sum of subscapular (SS) and triceps (TR) skinfold thicknesses to represent overall adiposity, and ratio of SS to TR (SS:TR) to represent central adiposity. Results: Mean (standard deviation) maternal 2nd trimester log CRH was 4.94 (0.56) pg/mL. At age 3, mean (standard deviation) for BMI z score was 0.52 (1.02); for SS + TR, 16.51 (3.94) mm; and for SS:TR, 0.67 (0:17). Log CRH was mildly inversely correlated with birth weight (r = -0.08), chiefly because of its association with length of gestation (r = -0.21) rather than fetal growth (r = -0.004). After adjustment for sociodemographic factors, maternal smoking, BMI, and gestational weight gain, fetal growth, length of gestation, breastfeeding duration, and (for SS:TR only) child's 3-year BMI, each increment of 1 unit of log CRH was associated with a reduction in BMI z score [-0.43; 95% confidence interval (CI), -0.73, -0.14; p = 0.004] and possible reduction in SS + TR (-1.10; 95% CI, -2.33, 0.14; p = 0.08). In contrast, log CRH was associated with higher SS:TR (0.07; 95% CI, 0.02, 0.13; p = 0.007). Discussion: Fetal exposure to glucocorticoids, although associated with an overall decrease in body size, may cause an increase in central adiposity.
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