Association of Prepregnancy Cardiometabolic Markers With Early Childhood Weight in a Study of Hispanic Dyads

OBJECTIVE: – To investigate associations between prepregnancy cardiometabolic risk factors and early childhood weight status, independent of genetic susceptibility.METHODS: – The ancillary study of the HCHS/SOL (Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos) included 227 dyads consisting of Hispanic/Latina mothers who had singleton live births between baseline and visit 2 and their children, aged 3–9 years. Child outcomes included body mass index (BMI) z-scores, and weight status categories. Maternal prepregnancy biomarkers included fasting triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), glucose, insulin, blood pressure, BMI, and waist circumference. Child DNA was used to calculate a polygenic risk score for obesity. Linear and logistic regression models adjusted for confounders and child genetic risk.RESULTS: – On average, 10.9 years elapsed between maternal baseline assessment and child anthropometry. At baseline, 4.8% of women reported having diabetes or hypertension, one-third had obesity (BMI 30 or higher), and more than half had elevated waist circumference or low HDL-C. Among children (mean age 7.5 years), 17.2% were categorized as having overweight and 27.8% were categorized as having obesity. Higher maternal BMI, larger waist circumference, and higher fasting insulin and diastolic blood pressure were significantly associated with higher child BMI z-scores. A 1-SD increase in maternal BMI (6.1 units) or waist circumference (13.3 cm) was linked to greater odds of child overweight or obesity. Elevated maternal insulin was associated with having a child with overweight status, and higher diastolic blood pressure with having a child in the obesity category in minimally adjusted models.CONCLUSION: – Prepregnancy cardiometabolic risk factors in Hispanic/Latina women are associated with higher BMI and obesity risk in their children, independent of genetic predisposition. These findings highlight the prepregnancy period as a critical window for interventions to improve intergenerational health outcomes.