Maternal Pre-Pregnancy BMI, Gestational Weight Gain and Daughter's age at Menarche: the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children

Abstract

Earlier puberty and menarcheal age are associated with adverse health outcomes. Reported associations of maternal adiposity with daughters' menarcheal age are inconsistent. We examined associations between maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG), and daughters' age at menarche (n = 3,935), pubarche (Tanner stage 2 for pubic hair) and thelarche (Tanner stage 2 for breast development) (n = 2,942) in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a UK prospective pregnancy cohort (baseline 1991–1992). Mean menarcheal age was 12.6 (standard deviation, 1.2) years. Both maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and GWG were inversely associated with daughters' menarcheal age with adjustment for maternal age, parity, socioeconomic status, smoking, maternal menarcheal age, and ethnicity: (mean difference = −0.34 months, 95% confidence interval: −0.45, −0.22 per 1 kg/m² and −0.17 months, 95% confidence interval: −0.26, −0.07 per kg, respectively). Associations remained unchanged with adjustment for birth weight and gestational age but attenuated to the null when daughters' pre-pubertal BMI was adjusted for. Similar results were found for age at pubarche and thelarche. Greater pre-pregnancy BMI and GWG are associated with earlier daughters' pubertal age, and are mediated by daughters' pre-pubertal BMI.

from ! ORL Sfakianakis via paythelady.61 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2wRqWdH
via IFTTT