Author:
Gow Megan L.,Vakil Priya,Roberts Lynne,Davis Greg,Khouri Joseph M.,Dosen Ana,Brown Mark A.,Craig Maria E.,Henry Amanda
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Intrauterine exposure to hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including gestational hypertension (GH) and preeclampsia (PE), may influence infant growth and have long-term health implications. This study aimed to compare growth outcomes of infants exposed to a normotensive pregnancy (NTP), GH, or PE from birth to 2 years.
Methods
Infants were children of women enroled in the prospective Postpartum Physiology, Psychology and Paediatric (P4) cohort study who had NTP, GH or PE. Birth, 6-month (age-corrected) and 2-year (age-corrected) weight z-scores, change in weight z-scores, rapid weight gain (≥0.67 increase in weight z-score) and conditional weight gain z-scores were calculated to assess infant growth (NTP = 240, GH = 19, PE = 66).
Results
Infants exposed to PE compared to NTP or GH had significantly lower birth weight and length z-scores, but there were no differences in growth outcomes at 6 months or 2 years. GH and PE-exposed infants had significantly greater weight z-score gain [95% CI] (PE = 0.93 [0.66–1.18], GH = 1.03 [0.37–1.68], NTP = 0.45 [0.31–0.58], p < 0.01) and rapid weight gain (GH = 63%, PE = 59%, NTP = 42%, p = 0.02) from birth to 2 years, which remained significant for PE-exposed infants after confounder adjustment.
Conclusion
In this cohort, GH and PE were associated with accelerated infant weight gain that may increase future cardiometabolic disease risk.
Impact
Preeclampsia exposed infants were smaller at birth, compared with normotensive pregnancy and gestational hypertension exposed infants, but caught up in growth by 2 years of age.
Both preeclampsia and gestational hypertension exposed infants had significantly accelerated weight gain from birth to 2 years, which remained significant for preeclampsia exposed infants after adjustment for confounders including small for gestational age.
Monitoring of growth patterns in infants born following exposure to a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy may be indicated to prevent accelerated weight gain trajectories and obesity.
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject
Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health
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