Associations of Maternal Weight Status Before, During, and After Pregnancy with Inflammatory Markers in Breast Milk

Abstract

ObjectiveTo examine the associations of maternal weight status before, during, and after pregnancy with breast milk C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and Interleukin-6 (IL-6), two bioactive markers of inflammation, measured at one and three months postpartum.MethodsParticipants were 134 exclusively breastfeeding mother-infant dyads taking part in the Mothers and Infants LinKed for Health (MILK) study, who provided breast milk samples. Pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG) were assessed by chart abstraction; postpartum weight loss was measured at the one and three month study visits. Linear regression was used to examine the associations of maternal weight status with repeated measures of breast milk CRP and IL-6 at one and three months, after adjustment for potential confounders.ResultsPre-pregnancy BMI and excessive GWG, but not total GWG or postpartum weight loss, were independently associated with breast milk CRP after adjustment (β=0.49, p<0.001 and β=0.51, p=0.011, respectively). No associations were observed for IL-6.ConclusionsHigh pre-pregnancy BMI and excessive GWG are associated with elevated levels of breast milk CRP. The consequences of infants receiving varying concentrations of breast milk inflammatory markers are unknown; however, we speculate that there are implications for the intergenerational transmission of disease risk.

Human Milk Composition and Dietary Intakes of Breastfeeding Women of Different Ethnicity from the Manawatu-Wanganui Region of New Zealand

“…Weight gain during pregnancy is normal due to the growth of the fetus, placenta, and amniotic fluid [ 34 ], and postpartum weight loss may be influenced by infant nursing mode [ 35 ]. In normal weight mothers, the gestational weight gain has been found to be approximately 13 kg [ 36 ], and weight loss has been reported to be variable with between 8 and 9 kg at 1 month postpartum and 4 and 11 kg at 3 months postpartum [ 35 , 37 ]. Gestational weight gain is associated with ethnicity, socio-demographic, lifestyle, and pregnancy characteristics within populations but which of these factors is predominant is unknown [ 38 ].…”

Higher Maternal Diet Quality during Pregnancy and Lactation Is Associated with Lower Infant Weight-For-Length, Body Fat Percent, and Fat Mass in Early Postnatal Life

“…Mother–infant dyads included in these analyses were enrolled in the Mothers and Infants LinKed for Health (MILK) study, an ongoing prospective cohort study [28]. Mothers and their infants were recruited from Minneapolis, MN, and Oklahoma City, OK. A total of 367 pregnant women aged 21–45 years, with a pre-pregnancy BMI of 18.5–40.0 kg/m 2 , an intention to exclusively breastfeed for at least 3 months, a healthy delivery (defined as <3 days in the hospital for vaginal deliveries and <5 days in the hospital for caesarean section deliveries), and who delivered singleton infants born at-term with a birth weight of ≥2500–≤4500 g were recruited into the study.…”

Association of Full Breastfeeding Duration with Postpartum Weight Retention in a Cohort of Predominantly Breastfeeding Women

“…The Mothers and Infants Linked for Healthy Growth (MILK) study is an ongoing prospective cohort of mother–infant dyads recruited from Minneapolis, MN and Oklahoma City, OK [22]. Women were included in the study if they: were 21–45 years of age at delivery; had a prepregnancy BMI of 18.5–40.0 kg/m 2 ; had a healthy singleton pregnancy (i.e., spent <3 days in the hospital post-delivery for vaginal deliveries and <5 days for caesarean section deliveries); delivered an infant at-term with a birthweight of ≥2500 g but ≤4500 g; and reported an intention to breastfeed exclusively for at least 3 months.…”