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Higher maternal prepregnancy BMI and longer birth length are associated with an increased risk of childhood atopic dermatitis by age 3 years.
Atopic dermatitis (AD) affects a substantial proportion of children worldwide and often begins during the earliest years of life, imposing a substantial burden on affected families and healthcare systems. Although maternal health and prenatal growth are increasingly recognized as important determinants of childhood allergic diseases, the relationship between maternal prepregnancy body mass index (BMI), fetal growth patterns, and the subsequent development of AD remains unclear.
Previous studies have suggested a link between gestational weight gain and eczema risk, but findings regarding maternal BMI before pregnancy and newborn growth characteristics have been inconsistent. To clarify these associations, researchers examined whether maternal prepregnancy BMI, fetal growth trajectories, and anthropometric measurements at birth were linked to the risk of developing AD during the first three years of life.
Investigators analyzed data from 2,107 mother-child pairs enrolled in the Scandinavian PreventADALL cohort. Maternal prepregnancy BMI was obtained at study enrollment during midpregnancy. Fetal development was tracked through ultrasound measurements of thoracic and abdominal circumferences, while newborn growth characteristics—including birth weight, length, and body circumferences—were recorded at delivery. Researchers further estimated fetal growth rates from midpregnancy to birth and examined their association with subsequent disease risk.
Offspring were prospectively followed from infancy to three years of age, with AD diagnosed at regular intervals using standardized clinical criteria. The analysis revealed numerous significant links between maternal and newborn characteristics and the likelihood of developing eczema during early childhood:
Overall, the findings highlighted maternal prepregnancy BMI and birth length as the strongest growth-related predictors of AD by age three years, whereas fetal growth trajectories and most newborn anthropometric measurements showed no measurable impact on disease risk.
Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: Global
Maternal BMI, early-life growth, and atopic dermatitis by age 3 years
Frida Victoria Berents et al.
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