Childhood Cardiometabolic Risk Factors Associated with the Perinatal Environment of the Maternal-Paternal-Child Triad

Authors: MCGEHEE, DIAMOND - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC); SIMS, CLARK - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC); TURNER, DONALD - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC); DIAZ, EVA - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC); SOBIK, SARAH - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC); EDWARDS, TIMOTHY - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC); KURKOWSKI, REBECCA - University Of Virginia; WILLIAMS, D. KEITH - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC); BORSHEIM, ELISABET - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC); ANDRES, ALINE - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC); KESHARI, THAKALI - Arkansas Children'S Nutrition Research Center (ACNC)

Submitted to: Pediatric Obesity
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/5/2024
Publication Date: 7/29/2024
Citation: Mcgehee, D.L., Sims, C.R., Turner, D., Diaz, E.C., Sobik, S.R., Edwards, T., Kurkowski, R.A., Williams, D., Borsheim, E., Andres, A., Keshari, T. 2024. Childhood Cardiometabolic Risk Factors Associated with the Perinatal Environment of the Maternal-Paternal-Child Triad. Pediatric Obesity. 19(12).Article e13162. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijpo.13162.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ijpo.13162

Interpretive Summary: Parents with obesity are more likely to have children with obesity. Yet, it is still unclear how parental diet, exercise, and heart health before a child is born may affect the child as they grow. Such results could inform parents on how to engage in healthy behaviors prior to conception to optimize their child’s health. The research project compared data from 102 parents before children were born to child factors like body size and heart health markers at 5 years of age. Results indicated that parental diet, body composition, and heart health are associated with child body size and heart health markers at 5 years of age. These results can help inform future parents on their health behaviors before they have children. They can also help people better understand how health concerns like obesity may impact future generations.

Technical Abstract: Background: Parental obesity is linked to increased childhood obesity, but longitudinal effects of parental cardiometabolic health remain unexplored. Objective: Identify parental factors associated with cardiometabolic health at age 5 years. Methods: Mother-child dyads from a longitudinal cohort were recalled at age 5 years (n=103, 68 fathers). Data related to dietary intake, anthropometrics, physical activity, and serum-based cardiometabolic risk factors were collected. Best subset selection was used to identify important parental factors. Results: Maternal fat mass (p=0.001, positive) and child sex (p<0.001) predicted fat mass. Paternal Interleukin-6, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and protein intake positively predicted HDL. Maternal dietary fat intake (negative), homeostatic model of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (positive), and paternal HDL (positive) were significant predictors of cholesterol. Paternal age at birth was a positive predictor whereas maternal carbohydrate intake negatively predicted glucose. Maternal fat mass positively predicted insulin levels. Paternal BMI positively associated with HOMA-IR and paternal C-Reactive Protein with leptin. Maternal low-density lipoprotein (negative), HDL (negative), cholesterol (positive), and IL-6 (negative) were associated with Tumor Necrosis Factor-a. Conclusions: Parental cardiometabolic health predicts cardiometabolic health at age 5 years. Future interventions should consider both maternal and paternal influences in metabolic programming of offspring health as well as familial lifestyle after birth.