Differences in relationships of maternal and paternal age at childbirth with body fat distribution in offspring

Abstract

Objectives: Although delayed parenthood has been linked to various adverse health outcomes in offspring, little attention has been given to the relationship between an increased parental age at childbirth and fat distribution in offspring. We aimed to determine the relationship between parental age at childbirth and body fat partitioning in Chinese children. Methods: A total of 463 children (mean age, 8 years; 43% female) were recruited. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to determine the fat mass (FM) and percentage of fat mass (%FM) in various areas of the body. Weight and height were measured. The body mass index (BMI) and fat mass index (FMI) were calculated. A questionnaire was used to collect information about parental variables and other confounders. Results: Multiple linear regression analyses suggested that for each additional year of maternal age at delivery, the BMI, FMI, and FM at whole-body, trunk, android, gynoid, and appendicular region increased by 0.115 kg/m 2 , 0.076 kg/m 2 ; 128.4 g, 57.71 g, 10.96 g, 25.07 g, and 67.88 g, respectively, after adjusting for covariates (P = .002-.017). In the analysis of covariance, children of mothers aged ≥31 years exhibited higher BMI, FMI, total-body and segmental FM, compared to those of mothers aged ≤25 years (P-trend = 0.002-0.017). Similar tendencies were also observed for the %FM (P-trend = 0.002-0.017). However, there was no significant relationship between paternal age at childbirth and any of the body fat measures in children.Conclusions: An increasing maternal age at childbirth was associated with increased body fat accumulation in offspring, whereas paternal age at childbirth appeared to have no such association.

Pre-Birth and Early-Life Factors Associated With the Timing of Adiposity Peak and Rebound: A Large Population-Based Longitudinal Study

“…However, a recent study from China has shown that maternal age younger than 28 years could predict pediatric overweight or obesity (60). Other studies also supported that although children of mothers with an advanced maternal age exhibited a higher BMI, mother's age at pregnancy has not been identified as a predictor of overweight for children (61,62). Based on all known evidence, we infer that the association between advanced maternal age and the early occurrence of AR was mediated by immediate neonatal outcomes such as intrauterine growth restriction or preterm birth.…”

Childhood exposure to parental smoking and life-course overweight and central obesity

“…In addition to individual's own factors,parentalfactors have been suggested to affect the development of overweight and obesity in the offspring.For example,high maternal age at childbirth has been associated with increased body fat accumulation in the offspringduring chilhdood 35 and increased BMIduring adolescence 36 .Noticeably, own smoking may be a marker of the accumulation of unhealthy lifestyle factors and thus increase the risk of overweight 31 . However,active smoking may also reduce the weight of an individual.…”

Secular trends and sociodemographic determinants of thinness, overweight and obesity among Chinese children and adolescents aged 7–18 years from 2010 to 2018

“…Recent data indicated that children of fathers aged >35 years at childbirth had lower BMI than children of fathers aged 31–35 and ≤30 years ( 51 ). In China, a higher paternal age may have negative effects on children's health; that is, higher income families can afford more high-energy foods and access more sedentary modes of transportation and leisure ( 52 ). In summary, the impact of paternal and maternal age at childbirth on nutritional statuses is currently unclear.…”