Associations Of Gestational Weight Gain Rate During Different Trimesters With Early-Childhood Body Mass Index And Risk Of Obesity

Objective This study aimed to estimate the associations of gestational weight gain rate (GWGR) during different trimesters with offspring growth and overweight/obesity risk. Methods The study included 4,807 mother-infant pairs enrolled in Wuhan, China. GWGR in each trimester was used as a continuous and a categorical variable to estimate the associations with offspring BMIzscore (ZBMI) and overweight/obesity risk between 0 and 2 years. Results Greater GWGR (per 0.2 kg/wk) in the first, second, and third trimester was positively associated with offspring ZBMI across birth to 2 years old (beta 0.06 [95% CI: 0.04-0.09], beta 0.13 [95% CI: 0.09-0.16], and beta 0.04 [95% CI: 0.02-0.07], respectively). Excessive GWGR in the first trimester (>= 0.30 kg/wk) was associated with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.58 (95% CI: 1.18-2.13) and 1.37 (95% CI: 1.11-1.71) for macrosomia and 2-year overweight/obesity, respectively. Excessive GWGR in the second trimester was associated with an OR of 2.09 (95% CI: 1.42-3.08), 1.21 (95% CI: 1.02-1.43), and 1.48 (95% CI: 1.15-1.90) for macrosomia, 1-year, and 2-year overweight/obesity, respectively. Excessive GWGR in the third trimester was associated with an OR of 1.91 (95% CI: 1.27-2.86) and 1.32 (95% CI: 1.02-1.72) for macrosomia and 2-year overweight/obesity, respectively. Conclusions Excessive GWGR in each trimester was positively associated with offspring ZBMI and early-childhood overweight/obesity risk.