Metabolic flexibility during late pregnancy is associated with neonatal adiposity

• Published in: Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism nutrition, and metabolism, 2021-04, Vol.46 (4), p.404-407
• Main Authors: Tinius, Rachel A, Blankenship, Maire M, Furgal, Karen E, Cade, W. Todd, Duchette, Cathryn, Pearson, Kevin J, Maples, Jill M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adipose tissues; Adiposity; Adult; Anthropometry; Birth Weight; Body fat; Body Mass Index; déplacement du substrat; enceinte; Female; Flexibility; Health aspects; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infants (Newborn); Insulin Resistance; Lipid Metabolism; lipid oxidation; Lipids; Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Metabolic regulation; Metabolism; neonates; Newborn babies; nouveau-nés; oxydation lipidique; Physiological aspects; Pregnancy; pregnant; Prenatal influences; Prospective Studies; substrate shifting
• ISSN: 1715-5312; 1715-5320
• DOI: 10.1139/apnm-2020-1005

The aim of this study was to determine the relationships between maternal metabolic flexibility during pregnancy and neonatal health outcomes. Percent change in lipid oxidation (before and after a high-fat meal) was calculated as the measure of “metabolic flexibility”. Neonatal adiposity was assessed within 48 h of delivery by skinfold anthropometry. Metabolic flexibility (r = −0.271, p = 0.034), maternal HOMA-IR (r = 0.280, p = 0.030), and maternal body mass index (r = 0.299, p = 0.018) were correlated with neonatal subscapular skinfold (i.e., measure of neonatal adiposity). Clinical Trail Registration Number: NCT03504319. Novelty: This is the first study to link maternal metabolic flexibility, body mass index, and insulin resistance during pregnancy to neonatal adiposity at parturition.