Abstract
Introduction
Obesity and excessive weight gain during pregnancy have lasting implications for both women and infant health. Adverse childhood experiences and stressful life events have been associated with pre-pregnancy obesity and excessive gestational weight gain. However, the effect of each has been examined independently and scant work has investigated the effects of both in the same analysis. The current study examined the unique and conjoint effects of adverse childhood experiences and recent stressful life events on women’s pre-pregnancy BMI and gestational weight gain.
Methods
A racially and socioeconomically diverse sample of 176 pregnant women completed questionnaires and anthropometric measurements during the third trimester and two months postpartum.
Results
Maternal adverse childhood experiences were uniquely associated with pre-pregnancy BMI (β = 0.21, p = .02), but not gestational weight gain. Recent stressful life events did not uniquely predict pre-pregnancy BMI or gestational weight gain, nor did it explain the association between adverse childhood experiences and pre-pregnancy BMI. Adverse childhood experiences and recent stressful life events did not interact to predict either of the women’s weight outcomes.
Discussion
Adverse childhood experiences have lasting unique effects on women’s pre-pregnancy BMI. Obesity is related to several perinatal health issues for the mother and child, thus understanding the effects of childhood adversity on women’s weight outcomes is critical. Routine screening for ACEs among women of childbearing age and pregnant women, paired with referrals and educational resources, can mitigate the deleterious effects of childhood adversity on women and infant health.
Significance Statement
Adverse childhood experiences and stressful life events during pregnancy have lasting detrimental effects on women’s health outcomes during and after the perinatal period. Most studies have examined these effects separately, and little is known about the joint effects of each risk factor on women’s weight outcomes during the perinatal period.
AbstractSection What This Study Adds?This study demonstrates that above and beyond the effects of recent stressful life events, maternal ACEs were negatively associated with pre-pregnancy BMI. Findings suggest that interventions aimed at mitigating the deleterious effects of ACEs on women’s weight outcomes prior to becoming pregnant are needed.
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Data Availability
Data may be requested from the first author.
Code Availability
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Acknowledgements
We are grateful to the participating families for their time and Megan Chandler and project staff for their dedication. The contents of this manuscript are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development.
Funding
This study was supported by R01HD093662 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development. This work was supported in part by a predoctoral fellowship to the first author provided by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (T32-HD007376) through the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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Authors 1 and 2 worked together in conceptualization of the study. Author 1 performed all analyses, wrote, and edited the original draft of the manuscript. Author 2 assisted with data analysis, reviewed, and edited the manuscript. Authors 2, 4, and 6 contributed to study design and funding acquisition. All authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript, read, and approved the final manuscript.
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Girod, S.A., Buehler, C., Bailes, L.G. et al. Childhood Adversity Predicts Maternal Pre-Pregnancy BMI but not Gestational Weight Gain. Matern Child Health J 27, 641–649 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-023-03613-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-023-03613-8