Abstract
Background
This study explored the association between maternal obesity during pregnancy and the inflammatory markers, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6 and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and the cytokine, adiponectin, in the offspring.
Methods
Weight, height, Tanner stage and biomarkers were measured in thirty-four 12-year-old children, from the Infant Growth Study, who were divided into high risk (HR) and low risk (LR) groups based on maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI).
Results
The two groups differed markedly in their hs-CRP levels, but no group difference was found for the other three biomarkers. The odds ratio (OR) of HR children having detectable hs-CRP levels was 16 times greater than that of LR children after adjusting for confounding variables, including BMI z-score, Tanner stages and gender (OR: 16; 95% CI: 2–123).
Conclusions
These results suggest that maternal obesity during pregnancy is associated with later development of elevated hs-CRP in the offspring, even after controlling for weight.
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Leibowitz, K.L., Moore, R.H., Ahima, R.S. et al. Maternal obesity associated with inflammation in their children. World J Pediatr 8, 76–79 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12519-011-0292-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12519-011-0292-6