Repository logo
 

Associations between maternal physical activity in early and late pregnancy and offspring birth size: remote federated individual level meta-analysis from eight cohort studies.

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Pastorino, Silvia 
Bishop, Tom 
Crozier, Sarah R 
Granström, Charlotta 
Kordas, Katarzyna 

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Evidence on the impact of leisure time physical activity (LTPA) in pregnancy on birth size is inconsistent. We aimed to examine the association between LTPA during early and late pregnancy and newborn anthropometric outcomes. DESIGN: Individual level meta-analysis, which reduces heterogeneity across studies. SETTING: A consortium of eight population-based studies (seven European and one US) comprising 72,694 participants. METHODS: Generalised linear models with consistent inclusion of confounders (gestational age, sex, parity, maternal age, education, ethnicity, BMI, smoking and alcohol intake) were used to test associations between self-reported LTPA at either early (8-18 weeks gestation) or late pregnancy (30+ weeks) and the outcomes. Results were pooled using random effects meta-analyses. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Birth weight, Large-for-gestational age (LGA), macrosomia, small-for-gestational age (SGA), %body fat and ponderal index at birth. RESULTS: Late, but not early, gestation maternal moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), vigorous activity and LTPA energy expenditure were modestly inversely associated with BW, LGA, macrosomia and ponderal index, without heterogeneity (all: I-square=0%). For each extra hour/week of MVPA, RR for LGA and macrosomia were 0.97 (95% CI: 0.96, 0.98) and 0.96 (95%CI: 0.94, 0.98) respectively. Associations were only modestly reduced after additional adjustments for maternal BMI and gestational diabetes. No measure of LTPA was associated with risk for SGA. CONCLUSIONS: Physical activity in late, but not early, pregnancy is consistently associated with modestly lower risk of LGA and macrosomia, but not SGA. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description

Keywords

LGA, SGA, Pregnancy, birth weight, macrosomia, physical activity

Journal Title

BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1471-0528
1471-0528

Volume Title

Publisher

Wiley-Blackwell
Sponsorship
Medical Research Council (MC_UU_12015/3)
Medical Research Council (MC_UU_12015/1)
Medical Research Council (MC_UU_12015/2)
European Commission (602068)
Department of Health (via National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)) (NF-SI-0617-10149)
Department of Health (via National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)) (NF-SI-0512-10135)
European Commission (289346)
Includes MRC, Wellcome Trust and NIHR.