A new report reveals that a child’s future heart health could be partially shaped before they are born. Researchers at Northwestern Medicine evaluated nearly 1,350 mother-child pairs from the Future of Families and Child Well-Being Study, which enrolled mothers and children at birth between 1998 and 2000 across 20 U.S. cities. The children were then followed into adulthood.
Using delivery hospitalization records, the Northwestern scientists first identified whether mothers experienced pregnancy complications, including high blood pressure during pregnancy, gestational diabetes (high blood sugar during pregnancy) or preterm birth (before 37 weeks of pregnancy).
The research team then analyzed the cardiovascular health of the offspring at age 22, using blood pressure measurements, blood testing, body mass index assessments and carotid artery ultrasounds to look for signs of artery injury.
The scientists compared participants with and without exposure to each pregnancy complication and adjusted for factors like income, education, difference in birth weight and smoking during pregnancy.
The team found that pregnancy complications were linked to poorer cardiovascular health in offspring more than 20 years later.
Young adults whose mothers had high blood pressure during pregnancy – either pregnancy-associated hypertension, pre-eclampsia or eclampsia — had more signs of early arterial injury, higher blood pressure, higher body mass index and higher blood sugar than peers.
At around age 22, participants whose mothers had high blood pressure during pregnancy had a higher body mass index (+2.8 BMI points), higher diastolic blood pressure (+2.3 mm Hg), higher blood sugar levels (+0.2% HbA1c) and thicker artery walls (~0.02 mm).
While the difference in artery wall thickness may seem small, the study authors said it corresponded to roughly three to five years of additional vascular aging. That means arteries looked older and less healthy than expected, which raises the risk of future heart disease.
“Before this study, we knew that mothers’ health during pregnancy influenced their children’s health,” Dr. Nilay Shah, a lead researcher of the study told FOX Local.
(Yahoo! news)
