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Understanding how maternal social and biological factors are related to fetal growth in an urban South African cohort

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 February 2020

Alessandra Prioreschi Open the ORCID record for Alessandra Prioreschi [Opens in a new window] ,
Stephanie V. Wrottesley ,
Rihlat Said-Mohamed ,
Lukhanyo Nyati ,
Marie-Louise Newell  and
Shane A. Norris
Alessandra Prioreschi*
Affiliation:
SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Stephanie V. Wrottesley
Affiliation:
SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Rihlat Said-Mohamed
Affiliation:
SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Lukhanyo Nyati
Affiliation:
SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Marie-Louise Newell
Affiliation:
Institute for Developmental Science and Global Health Research Institute, School of Human Development and Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, UK School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
Shane A. Norris
Affiliation:
SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
*
Address for correspondence: Dr Alessandra Prioreschi, MRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. Email: alessandra.prioreschi@wits.ac.za
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Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify social and biological drivers of fetal growth by examining associations with household, preconception, and pregnancy factors in a cohort from Soweto, South Africa. Complete data and ultrasound scans were collected on 519 women between 2013 and 2016 at 6 time points during pregnancy (<14, 14–18, 19–23, 24–28, 29–33 weeks, and 34–38 weeks). Household-level factors, preconception health, baseline body mass index (BMI), and demographic data were collected at the first visit. During pregnancy, gestational weight gain (GWG; kg/week) was calculated. At 24–28 weeks of gestation, oral glucose tolerance test was used to determine gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) status, and hypertension status was characterised. Longitudinal growth in head circumference, abdominal circumference, biparietal diameter, and femur length were modelled using the Superimposition by Translation and Rotation, a shape-invariant model which produces growth curves against gestational age. A priori identified exposure variables were then included in a series of sex-stratified hierarchical regression models for each fetal growth outcome. No household-level factors were associated with fetal growth. Maternal BMI at baseline was positively associated with all outcome parameters in males and females. Both GWG (in males and females) and GDM (in males) were significant positive predictors of abdominal growth. Males showed more responsiveness to abdominal growth, while females were more responsive to linear growth. Thus, fetal growth was largely predicted by maternal biological factors, and sexual dimorphism in the responsiveness of fetal biometry to biological exposures was evident.

Keywords

Pregnancy healthlongitudinal cohortfetal adipositymaternal and child healthpreconception healthobesity
Type
Original Article
Information
Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease , Volume 12 , Issue 1 , February 2021 , pp. 79 - 87
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Copyright
© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press and the International Society for Developmental Origins of Health and Disease

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