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Blood pressure during pregnancy, neonatal size and altered body composition: the Healthy Start study

Journal of Perinatology volume 37, pages 502–506 (2017)Cite this article

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Abstract

Objective:

The objective of this study is to estimate associations between changes in maternal arterial pressure during normotensive pregnancies and offspring birth weight and body composition at birth.

Study Design:

Prospective study of 762 pregnant normotensive Colorado women, recruited from outpatient obstetrics clinics. Repeated arterial pressure measurements during pregnancy were averaged within the second and third trimesters, respectively. Multivariable regression models estimated associations between second to third trimester changes in arterial pressure and small-for-gestational-age birth weight, fat mass, fat-free mass and percent body fat.

Results:

A greater second to third trimester increase in maternal arterial pressure was associated with greater odds of small-for-gestational-age birth weight. Greater increases in maternal diastolic blood pressure were associated with reductions in offspring percent body fat (−1.1% in highest vs lowest quartile of increase, 95% confidence interval: −1.9%, −0.3%).

Conclusion:

Mid-to-late pregnancy increases in maternal arterial pressure, which do not meet clinical thresholds for hypertension are associated with neonatal body size and composition.

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Acknowledgements

The Healthy Start study was funded by a grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, grant number R01DK076648. APS was funded by a grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, grant number K99ES025817. DD, DHG and BMR were funded by a grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institutes of Health, grant number R01GM121081.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA

    A P Starling, A L B Shapiro & D Dabelea

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Colorado School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA

    K A Sauder, J L Kaar & D Dabelea

  3. Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA

    B M Ringham & D H Glueck

  4. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA

    H L Galan

Authors
  1. A P Starling
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  2. A L B Shapiro
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  3. K A Sauder
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  4. J L Kaar
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  6. D H Glueck
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  8. D Dabelea
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to A P Starling.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Supplementary Information accompanies the paper on the Journal of Perinatology website

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Starling, A., Shapiro, A., Sauder, K. et al. Blood pressure during pregnancy, neonatal size and altered body composition: the Healthy Start study. J Perinatol 37, 502–506 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/jp.2016.261

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