Dietary acrylamide intake during pregnancy and postnatal growth and obesity: Results from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa)

Background: Prenatal acrylamide exposure has been negatively associated with fetal growth but the association with child growth is unknown. Objectives: We studied the association between prenatal acrylamide exposure and child postnatal growth up to 8 years in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). Methods: In 51,952 mother-child pairs from MoBa, acrylamide intake during pregnancy was estimated by combining maternal food intake with food concentrations of acrylamide. Mothers reported their child's weight and length/height up to 11 times between 6 weeks and 8 years. Weight and height growth trajectories were modelled using Jenss-Bayley's growth model. Logistic regression models were used to study the association with overweight/obese status at 3, 5 and 8 years, as identified using the International Obesity Task Force cut-offs. Linear mixed-effect models were used to explore associations with overall growth. Results: At 3 years, the adjusted odds ratios (95% Confidence Intervals (CI)) of being overweight/obese were 1.10 (1.02, 1.20), 1.12 (1.04, 1.22) and 1.21 (1.11, 1.31) by increasing prenatal acrylamide exposure quartile. Similar dose-response associations were found at 5 and 8 years. Acrylamide intake during pregnancy was associated with higher weight growth velocity in childhood. Children exposed at the highest level had 22 g (95% CI: 8, 37), 57 g (95% CI: 32, 81), and 194 g (95% CI: 110, 278) higher weight at 0.5, 2, and 8 years, respectively, compared to their low exposed peers. Conclusions: Children prenatally exposed to acrylamide in the highest quartile experienced a moderate increase in weight growth velocity during early childhood that resulted in a moderately increased prevalence of overweight/obesity compared to peers in the lowest quartile. Our study is the first to link prenatal acrylamide exposure and postnatal growth.