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The Influence of Maternal Pre-Pregnancy Body Mass Index and Fatty Acids on Child Negative Affect

Thu, March 21, 9:30 to 11:00am, Baltimore Convention Center, Floor: Level 3, Room 328

Integrative Statement

Increased maternal adiposity during pregnancy is associated with risk for neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders in offspring, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, and depression (Edlow, 2016; Sullivan, Nousen, & Chamlou, 2014). These disorders are thought to be rooted in early development, and are detectable in part by increased behavioral and emotional dysregulation in infancy, for example by increased infant negative affect (i.e., increased crying, fearfulness, and fear reactivity) (Muris & Ollendick, 2005; Nigg, 2006; Rothbart, 2007). However, few studies have investigated the association between maternal adiposity and early life markers of such risk. Doing so holds promise to a) inform our understanding of the developmental mechanisms through which increased maternal body mass index (BMI) shapes offspring risk, and b) provide clarity as to when in development this risk appears and thus can be intervened upon.

Although increased adiposity introduces risk, not all children of overweight mothers develop problems. Gestational factors that modify this risk are not well understood, though previous research suggests that omega-3 fatty acids may be one protective factor (Coletta, Bell, & Roman, 2010; Simopoulos, 2002). Since maternal BMI is purported to influence offspring risk via increased inflammation (Bilbo & Schwarz, 2009), it stands to reason that an anti-inflammatory input like omega-3 fatty acids (Wall, Ross, Fitzgerald, & Stanton, 2010) might counteract this effect.

The goal of this study was to investigate whether maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and omega-3 fatty acid levels independently and/or interactively predicted offspring infant negative affect.

Data came from a prospective pilot study of women who were recruited during pregnancy and followed until their infant was 6 months old (N = 62; 40% female).

Maternal pre-pregnancy BMI was culled from medical charts. Omega-3 fatty acid concentrations were assessed in plasma during the third trimester; models considered total omega-3s as well as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) separately. Infant negative affect was assessed using observer- (still face paradigm) and maternal-ratings (revised infant behavior questionnaire) when children were 6 months old (Gartstein & Rothbart, 2003; Tronick, Als, Adamson, Wise, & Brazelton, 1978). Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression. All models included a) maternal pre-pregnancy BMI, b) omega-3 fatty acids, and c) maternal prenatal stress, assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale and CES-D (Cohen, Kamarck, & Mermelstein, 1994; Radloff, 1977). Moderation analyses included a) b) and c) as well as the interaction between BMI and omega-3 fatty acids.

As can be seen in Table 1, when considered in a model together (along with maternal prenatal stress), maternal pre-pregnancy BMI predicted more and EPA predicted less infant negative affect (ps=.000-.037). Further, the effect of BMI on observed infant negative affect was moderated by omega-3 levels (βs=.41-.56, ps=.007-.012; models including total omega-3s, EPA, and DHA yielded the same pattern of results). Specifically, omega-3 fatty acids buffered children against the negative consequences of increased adiposity (see Figure 1 for a visual depiction). These results suggest that omega-3 supplementation during pregnancy may help reduce children’s negative affect early in life, particularly among children whose mothers are overweight or obese.

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