From Womb to Wellness: The Impact of Prenatal and Perinatal Factors on Cardiovascular Health in Childhood, study finds
Associations between prenatal and perinatal factors and cardiovascular health (CVH) trajectories in children from childhood through adolescence were investigated, emphasizing the significance of the American Heart Association's Life’s Essential 8 (LE8) framework. This framework includes four behavioral (diet, physical activity, sleep duration, nicotine exposure) and four biological factors (BMI, blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol) assessed on a 0-100 scale. Recent research highlights the crucial role that early life stages play in forming health behaviors and disease precursors.
Importance of Early Precursors in CVD
CVD is a leading cause of death in the U.S., with early precursors such as elevated BMI, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels observed by age three. Understanding how prenatal exposures impact long-term CVH is vital for primordial prevention strategies. Prior studies indicated that factors such as maternal obesity, gestational weight gain, and smoking during pregnancy correlate with subsequent increases in child CVD risk factors.
Methodology: Project Viva Cohort Study
Utilizing data from the Project Viva cohort study in eastern Massachusetts, the research examined how specific prenatal and perinatal factors, including maternal BMI, gestational weight gain, and breastfeeding practices, correlate with CVH. With 1,333 participants, the study analyzed CVH measures between early childhood (3 years) and late adolescence (18 years), employing mixed-effect models to assess CVH trajectories across sex.
Key Findings on Maternal Factors and CVH
The findings demonstrated that children born to mothers with prepregnancy obesity had significantly lower CVH scores throughout childhood and adolescence compared to those from healthy-weight mothers. Maternal gestational hypertension was linked to an earlier inflection point in CVH scores, indicating a faster decline after initial improvements, while smoking during pregnancy correlated with consistently lower CVH scores. Additionally, children exclusively formula-fed in their first six months exhibited poorer CVH outcomes.
Impact of Behavioral Factors on Health Trajectories
Behavioral factors accounted for most of the observed decline in CVH, highlighting the impact of early dietary habits on long-term health trajectories. The study reaffirmed previous observations regarding the connections between maternal health factors and child CVH trajectories, extending the knowledge on how prenatal environments influence long-term cardiovascular health.
Conclusion: Addressing Modifiable Prenatal Risks
Overall, the study underscores the importance of addressing modifiable prenatal and perinatal risks, such as maternal obesity and smoking, to improve childhood cardiovascular outcomes. This information is critical for developing early interventions aimed at fostering better health from infancy onward, ultimately reducing the risk of CVD in later life.
Key Points
- The study examines the associations between prenatal and perinatal factors and cardiovascular health (CVH) trajectories in children, utilizing the American Heart Association's Life’s Essential 8 (LE8) framework, which assesses both behavioral and biological factors on a 0-100 scale to understand early life influences on health.
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a principal cause of death in the U.S., with early risk indicators such as elevated BMI, blood pressure, and cholesterol emerging as early as three years of age, highlighting the importance of understanding prenatal exposure effects for effective prevention strategies.
- Data from the Project Viva cohort study (1,333 participants) in eastern Massachusetts was analyzed to investigate the impact of maternal factors (BMI, gestational weight gain, breastfeeding practices) on children's CVH from early childhood (3 years) into adolescence (18 years), using mixed-effect models for trajectory assessments.
- Key findings indicate that children born to mothers with obesity pre-pregnancy exhibited consistently lower CVH scores, while maternal gestational hypertension and smoking during pregnancy were associated with negative shifts in CVH trajectories, including earlier declines in health measures.
- Behavioral factors heavily influenced CVH declines, particularly early dietary habits, reinforcing established links between maternal health conditions and their children's cardiovascular outcomes and extending the understanding of prenatal influences on long-term health.
- The study highlights the critical need to address modifiable prenatal risks, such as maternal obesity and smoking, to enhance cardiovascular health in children and suggests that early interventions can mitigate CVD risks later in life.
Reference –
I. Aris et al. (2025). Prenatal And Perinatal Factors Of Life’S Essential 8 Cardiovascular Health Trajectories. *JAMA Network Open*, 8. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.7774.
