Background: Childhood obesity has increased significantly in recent decades. Objective: The objective was to examine the perinatal risk factors related to childhood obesity. Design: In a prospective study, 89 women with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) or gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and their offspring were evaluated at birth and at 8.8 6 1.8 y. At birth, obstetrical data, parental anthropometric measures, and neonatal body composition were assessed; at follow-up, diet and activity were assessed and laboratory studies were conducted. Weight was classified by using weight for age and sex, and body composition was measured by using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. In childhood, data were analyzed as tertiles and prediction models were developed by using logistic and stepwise regression. Results: No significant differences in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention weight percentiles, body composition, and most metabolic measures were observed between children of mothers with NGT and GDM at follow-up. Children in the upper tertile for weight had greater energy intake (P = 0.02), skinfold thickness (P = 0.0001), and leptin concentrations (P , 0.0001) than did those in tertiles 1 and 2. Children in the upper tertile for percentage body fat had greater waist circumference (P = 0.0001), insulin resistance (P = 0.002), and triglyceride (P = 0.009) and leptin (P = 0.0001) concentrations than did children in tertiles 1 and 2. The correlation between body fat at birth and follow-up was r = 0.29 (P = 0.02). The strongest perinatal predictor for a child in the upper tertile for weight was maternal pregravid body mass index (BMI; kg/m 2 ) .30 (odds ratio: 3.75; 95% CI: 1.39, 10.10; P = 0.009) and for percentage body fat was maternal pregravid BMI .30 (odds ratio: 5.45; 95% CI: 1.62, 18.41; P = 0.006). Conclusion: Maternal pregravid BMI, independent of maternal glucose status or birth weight, was the strongest predictor of childhood obesity.

Objective To investigate the associations between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and maternal and neonatal morbidities in a cohort of obese gravid women. Methods Participants were enrolled in a prospective observational study designed to screen for OSA and describe the possible risk factors for and outcomes of OSA among obese (BMI 30 kg/m2 or higher) pregnant women. Women underwent an overnight sleep study using a portable home monitor. Studies were manually scored by a central masked Sleep Reading Center using American Academy of Sleep Medicine diagnostic criteria. An apnea hypopnea index of 5 or greater was considered diagnostic of OSA. Perinatal outcomes were compared between women with and without OSA. Results Among 175 women, OSA prevalence was 15.4% (13 mild, 9 moderate, 5 severe). Compared with no-OSA (AHI<5), the OSA group had a higher BMI (46.8 ±12.2 vs. 38.1± 7.5 kg/m2, p=0.002) and more chronic hypertension (55.6 vs. 32.4%, p=0.02). Maternal complications included: maternal death (n=1, amniotic fluid embolus [no-OSA group]) and cardiac arrest (n=1, intraoperative at cesarean delivery [OSA group]). One previable birth and two stillbirths occurred in the no-OSA group. Among live births, OSA was associated with more frequent cesarean delivery (65.4 vs. 32.8%, p=0.003), preeclampsia (42.3 vs. 16.9, p=0.005), and NICU admission (46.1 vs. 17.8, p=0.002). After controlling for BMI, maternal age, and diabetes, OSA (OR 3.55 [1.1–11.3]), prior preeclampsia (OR 2.79 [1.09–7.19]), and hypertension (4.25 [1.67–10.77]) were associated with developing preeclampsia. Conclusion OSA among obese pregnant women is associated with more frequent preeclampsia, neonatal intensive care unit admissions, and cesarean delivery.