Influence of maternal obesity, gestational weight gain and gestational diabetes on child metabolic profile: A prospective study from the intrauterine period until early childhood.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Impacts of maternal exposures on infant metabolic profiles, particularly tracked up to school age, are poorly known. The aim was to investigate associations of maternal obesity, gestational weight gain (GWG) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) with children's serum metabolites. METHODS: Serum metabolites were analyzed using nuclear magnetic resonance metabolomics at 6 months (n=257) and 1 (n=256), 2 (n=238), and 5-6 years of age (n=139). Associations between maternal exposures and offspring metabolites were examined using multivariable regression models adjusted for confounders and correction for multiple comparisons. RESULTS: Maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (pBMI) associated positively with the ratio of n-6 fatty acids to n-3 fatty acids and the particle sizes of very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and inversely with n-3 fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid and ratio of phospholipids to total lipids in large LDL-particles at 6 months (false discovery rate < 0.05). Accordingly, maternal obesity showed positive associations with ratio of n-6 fatty acids to n-3 fatty acids and inverse associations with n-3 fatty acids. GDM was negatively associated with the phospholipid-to-total lipids ratio in small VLDL-particles in 2 years old children (false discovery rate < 0.05). No associations of child metabolites were seen with pBMI, obesity at 1-year, 2-years, and 5-6 years, or at any age with GWG after correcting for multiple comparisons. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that maternal obesity and GDM, shape the offspring's metabolic profile; these may be of significance for later health.