Maternal physical activity during pregnancy Linked to Neonatal Adiposity and Childhood Obesity

A recent study provides significant evidence supporting the critical role of maternal physical activity during pregnancy in mitigating the risk of neonatal adiposity, particularly in male offspring. The study published in International Journal of Obesity analyzed data from the Vitamin D And Lifestyle Intervention for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Prevention (DALI) study, sheds light on the potential of maternal physical activity (PA) to mitigate the associated risks. 

The study involved 213 mother-child pairs who were part of the DALI study and had a pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) of 29 kg/m² or higher. Maternal moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time (ST) were measured using accelerometers at various points during pregnancy. The researchers explored the relationships between these maternal behaviors and neonatal outcomes, as well as cord blood parameters. Importantly, they also assessed whether these associations varied based on the sex of the offspring.

The results revealed compelling insights. Most notably, the analysis showcased that nearly all pregnant women experienced a decline in MVPA levels and an increase in sedentary time as pregnancy progressed. Notably, higher maternal MVPA levels and an increase in MVPA over time were correlated with reduced neonatal fat mass (FM%) in male offspring. This intriguing finding highlights a potential pathway to mitigate the risk of childhood obesity through maternal physical activity.

Interestingly, female offspring demonstrated different patterns. In this group, higher maternal sedentary time during pregnancy was associated with lower levels of cord blood C-peptide. C-peptide is an indicator of insulin secretion and can be suggestive of metabolic health. These results underscore the potential effects of maternal behaviors on metabolic processes even before birth.

While no direct correlations were identified between these maternal behaviors and birthweight or other cord blood parameters, the study underscores the far-reaching effects of maternal lifestyle on neonatal outcomes and the child's future health.

Source:

Dieberger, A. M., Obermayer-Pietsch, B., Harreiter, J., Desoye, G., van Poppel, M. N. M., Simmons, D., Corcoy, R., Perez, J. M. A., Kautzky-Willer, A., Damm, P., Andersen, L. L. T., Dunne, F., Jelsma, J. G. M., … Galjaard, S. (2023). Physical activity and sedentary time across pregnancy and associations with neonatal weight, adiposity and cord blood parameters: a secondary analysis of the DALI study. In International Journal of Obesity (Vol. 47, Issue 9, pp. 873–881). Springer Science and Business Media LLC. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-023-01347-9