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Effects of Maternal Surgical Weight Loss in Mothers on Intergenerational Transmission of Obesity

Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et Pneumologie de Québec (J.S., K.C., S.S. P.M.) and Department of Surgery (S.B., F.S.H., S.L., S.M., O.L., L.B., P.M.), Laval University, Québec, Canada G1V 4G5; and Department of Surgery (J.G.K.), State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York 11203

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: P. Marceau, M.D., Ph.D., Institut Universitaire de Cardiologie et Pneumologie de Québec, Laval Hospital, 2725 Chemin Ste. Foy, Québec, Canada GIV 4G5. E-mail: picard.marceau{at}chg.ulaval.ca.

Background and Objectives: By studying cardiometabolic risk factors in children born after maternal biliopancreatic diversion bariatric surgery (AMS) compared with those in children born before maternal surgery (BMS), we tested the hypothesis that significant maternal weight loss may modify obesity-related factors transmitted via the intrauterine environment.

Design: Anthropometry and fasting blood levels were studied in 49 mothers who had lost 36 ± 1.8% body weight sustained for 12 ± 0.8 yr and their 111 children (54 BMS and 57 AMS) aged 2.5–26 yr.

Results: AMS children had lower birth weight (2.9 ± 0.1 AMS vs. 3.3 ± 0.1 kg BMS, P = 0.003) associated with a reduced prevalence of macrosomia (1.8 AMS vs. 14.8% BMS, P = 0.03) with no difference in underweight. At the time of follow-up, AMS children exhibited 3-fold lower prevalence of severe obesity (11 vs. 35%, P = 0.004), greater insulin sensitivity (homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index 3.4 ± 0.3 vs. 4.8 ± 0.5, P = 0.02), improved lipid profile (cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol 2.96 ± 0.11 vs 3.40 ± 0.18, P = 0.03; high-density lipoprotein cholesterol 1.50 ± 0.05 vs. 1.35 ± 0.05 mmol/liter, P = 0.04), lower C-reactive protein (0.88 ± 0.17 vs. 2.00 ± 0.34 µg/ml, P = 0.004), and leptin (11.5 ± 1.5 vs.19.7 ± 2.5 ng/ml, P = 0.005) and increased ghrelin (1.28 ± 0.06 vs.1.03 ± 0.06 ng/ml, P = 0.005) than BMS offspring (AMS vs. BMS, respectively, for all).

Conclusions: This unique study of children aged 2.5–26 yr born before and after maternal antiobesity surgery demonstrated improvements in cardiometabolic markers sustained into adolescence, attributable to an improved intrauterine environment.