Maternal Pre-pregnancy BMI and Reproductive Health of Daughters in Young Adulthood

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftTidsskriftartikelForskningfagfællebedømt

  • Saga Elise Mariansdatter
  • Andreas Ernst
  • Gunnar Toft
  • Olsen, Sjurdur F.
  • Anne Vested
  • Susanne Lund Kristensen
  • Mette Lausten Hansen
  • Cecilia Høst Ramlau-Hansen

Objective To investigate the possible associations between maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and daughters’ age of menarche and subsequent markers of reproductive health. Methods Nine hundred eighty-five pregnant women (80 %) were enrolled at their routine 30th week examinations in 1988–1989. In 2008, a follow-up questionnaire was completed for 365 daughters (83 %), while 267 daughters (61 %) participated in a subsequent clinical examination. Main outcome measures were age of menarche, reproductive hormone profile, and ovarian follicle count in daughters. Results Daughters of mothers in the highest pre-pregnancy BMI tertile (BMI ≥ 22.0 kg/m2) had an adjusted 4.1 (0.3; 8.0) months earlier menarche compared with the middle tertile group (BMI 20.0–21.9 kg/m2). Among non-users of hormonal contraceptives, daughters of mothers in the highest pre-pregnancy BMI tertile had non-significantly lower dehydroepiandrosterone-sulphate (DHEAS), estradiol, and free estrogen index (FEI), compared to the middle BMI tertile. This was supported by a sub-analysis using the WHO classification (underweight, BMI < 18.50; normal range, BMI 18.50–24.99; overweight/obese, BMI ≥ 25.00 kg/m2) as exposure groups, in which daughters of overweight mothers had lower levels of DHEAS and estradiol, and lower FEI compared to daughters of normal weight mothers. No associations were found for ovarian follicle count in any of the groups. Conclusions for Practice We found that higher maternal BMI is associated with earlier age of menarche in daughters. A possible impact of maternal pre-pregnancy BMI on DHEAS and estradiol serum levels, and FEI in non-users of hormonal contraceptives was indicated, but the results were not statistically significant.

OriginalsprogEngelsk
TidsskriftMaternal and Child Health Journal
Vol/bind20
Udgave nummer10
Sider (fra-til)2150-2159
Antal sider10
ISSN1092-7875
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 2016
Eksternt udgivetJa

Bibliografisk note

Funding Information:
We wish to thank Sonja Eeg Schoeler, Berit Brixen Joergensen and Karin Fredborg for their assistance in recruitment and examination of the participants, and Charlotta Granström for performing data management. Additionally, we thank GE Healthcare for providing ultrasonographic equipment. This study is part of a project financially supported by the Danish Council for Independent Research (271-05-0296, 09-065631), the Danish Ministry of Interior and Health (0-302-02-18/5), the Danish Council for Strategic Research [09-067124 (Centre for Fetal Programming), 09-063072, 2101-06-0005], the Novo Nordisk Foundation, and the Aarhus University Research Foundation.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2016, Springer Science+Business Media New York.

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