Associations between cord blood metabolic factors and early-childhood growth and overweight and obesity

Abstract

ObjectiveThis prospective cohort study was aimed at investigating the associations between cord blood metabolic factors and early-childhood growth, further elucidating the relationships between cord blood metabolites and overweight and obesity in early life.MethodsA total of 2,267 pairs of mothers and offspring were recruited in our study. Cord blood plasma was assayed for triglycerides (TGs), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), C-peptide, insulin, and glycosylated hemoglobin type A1C (HbA1c) levels. Data of anthropometric measurements were collected from offspring at birth, 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months. Multiple linear regression models were used to evaluate the correlations between cord blood metabolic factors and weight Z-scores, body mass index (BMI) Z-scores, and weight gains at the early stage of life. Forward stepwise logistic regression analyses were applied to explore the associations between cord blood metabolic factors and early-childhood overweight and obesity. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were applied to determine the optimal cutoff points for cord blood metabolic factors in predicting early-childhood overweight and obesity.ResultsAfter adjustments for covariates, cord blood TG concentrations and TG/TC ratios were negatively associated with weight Z-scores from birth to 18 months. Cord blood C-peptide and HbA1c levels were inversely associated with weight Z-scores at 6 months and 18 months. Cord blood TG concentrations and TG/TC ratios were negatively correlated with BMI Z-scores up to 18 months. Cord blood C-peptide levels and HbA1c levels were inversely correlated with BMI Z-scores at 18 months. Cord blood TG, TG/TC ratios, C-peptide, and HbA1c had negative correlations with weight gains from birth to 6 months, but the correlations attenuated as time went on. Increase in cord blood TG and HbA1c levels and TG/TC ratios were significantly associated with decreased risks of overweight and obesity at 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months.ConclusionsCord blood metabolic factors were significantly associated with early-childhood growth patterns.

Hormonal Determinants of Growth and Weight Gain in the Human Fetus and Preterm Infant

“…Limited evidence [ 331 ] suggests that low adiponectin levels in early childhood are associated with increases in plasma triglycerides and low levels of HDL, features suggesting insulin resistance. Yet cord blood triglyceride levels correlated negatively with weight gain and BMIz at 6–18 months in a prospective study of 2267 Chinese infants [ 333 ], and postnatal weight gain in preterm infants is associated more strongly with increases in leptin than with reductions in adiponectin [ 334 ].…”