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Metabolic State and Nutrition during Pregnancy: Mechanisms and Moderators of Effects on Offspring Health and Development

Thu, March 23, 3:15 to 4:45pm, Salt Palace Convention Center, Floor: 1, Meeting Room 151 G

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Abstract

Birthing parent metabolic state and nutrition during pregnancy have each been shown to exert life-long effects on offspring health and development. However, few studies have examined their independent effects on child outcomes (making their relative influence unclear), and even fewer have examined mediators or moderators of these associations. The presentations in this symposium utilize an impressive array of novel methodologies (e.g., MRI, DNA methylation, blood concentrations of fatty acids and glucose, air displacement plethysmography and DEXA scans, actigraphy) to address this important gap in the literature.

Presentation 1 reports that birthing parent adiposity and saturated fatty acid concentrations during pregnancy are independently associated with micro/macrostructural variation in the neonatal hypothalamus, which, in turn, is associated with increased infant adiposity. Intriguingly, these findings may help explain the intergenerational transmission of obesity risk. Presentation 2 examines the effects of adiposity and dietary intake on placental DNA methylation and birth outcomes, and reports that adiposity and calcium intake are independently associated with birthweight and with methylation of metabolism-related genes that have significance for long-term health. Presentation 3 examines the effects of the dietary glycemic index (DGI; an underexplored metric of dietary quality) on infant negative affect. These authors report that greater DGIs are associated with greater infant negative affect, independent of birthing parent adiposity and glucose regulation. Presentation 4 reports that birthing parent adiposity and omega-3 fatty acid intake during pregnancy are independently associated with birthweight, and that omega-3 fatty acid intake is uniquely associated with increased infant sleep, among male children only.

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