Maternal gestational weight gain and offspring’s neurodevelopmental outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aug 14, 2023

Experts: Dan Wu,Yicheng Li,Lingyan Chen,Marieke Klein,Barbara Franke,Jinjin Chen,Jan Buitelaar

Abnormal gestational weight gain (GWG) has been increasing globally, up to 47% of all pregnancies. Multiple studies have focused on the association between GWG and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in the offspring, however with inconsistent results. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate associations between excessive or insufficient GWG and offspring’s neurodevelopmental outcomes. Meta-analysis of these 23 studies using a random-effects model revealed associations between excessive GWG and neurodevelopmental disorders (ASD & ID & ADHD together: OR= 1.12 [95% CI 1.06-1.19]), ASD (OR=1.18 [95% CI 1.08-1.29]), ADHD (OR=1.08 [95% CI 1.02-1.14]), ASD with ID (OR=1.15 [95% CI, 1.01-1.32]), and ASD without ID (OR=1.12 [95% CI 1.06-1.19]). Insufficient GWG was associated with higher risk for ID (OR=1.14 [95% CI 1.03-1.26]). These results emphasize the significant impact, though of small effect size, of GWG across multiple neurodevelopmental disorders. It is important to note that these results do not establish causality. Other factors such as genetic factors, gene-environment interactions may confound the relationship between GWG and neurodevelopmental outcomes. To better understand the role of GWG in neurodevelopmental disorders, future studies should consider using genetically sensitive designs that can account for these potential confounders.
Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

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ABOUT THE EXPERTS

Dan Wu,Yicheng Li,Lingyan Chen,Marieke Klein,Barbara Franke,Jinjin Chen,Jan Buitelaar

Dan Wu

Department of Child Health Care, Shanghai Children’s Hospital, School of medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200062, Shanghai, China; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands; Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, the Netherlands.

Yicheng Li

Department of Child Health Care, Shanghai Children’s Hospital, School of medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200062, Shanghai, China.

Lingyan Chen

Department of Occupational Therapy Sciences，Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, 852-8520, Japan.

Marieke Klein

Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, the Netherlands.

Barbara Franke

Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands; Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, the Netherlands.

Jinjin Chen

Department of Child Health Care, Shanghai Children’s Hospital, School of medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200062, Shanghai, China. Electronic address: jjvoo@163.com.

Jan Buitelaar

Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands; Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Centre, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, the Netherlands.