Effect of Lifestyle Interventions during Pregnancy on Maternal Leptin, Resistin and Offspring Weight at Birth and One Year of Life
Nina Ferrari,
Nikola Schmidt,
Lisa Schmidt,
Waltraut M. Merz,
Konrad Brockmeier,
Jörg Dötsch,
Inga Bae-Gartz,
Esther Mahabir,
Christine Joisten
Affiliations
Nina Ferrari
Cologne Center for Prevention in Childhood, Youth/Heart Center Cologne, University Hospital of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany
Nikola Schmidt
Department for Physical Activity in Public Health, Institute of Movement and Neurosciences, German Sport University Cologne, Am Sportpark Müngersdorf 6, 50933 Cologne, Germany
Lisa Schmidt
Department for Physical Activity in Public Health, Institute of Movement and Neurosciences, German Sport University Cologne, Am Sportpark Müngersdorf 6, 50933 Cologne, Germany
Waltraut M. Merz
Department of Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine, Venusberg-Campus 1, University Bonn Medical School, 53127 Bonn, Germany
Konrad Brockmeier
Cologne Center for Prevention in Childhood, Youth/Heart Center Cologne, University Hospital of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany
Jörg Dötsch
Cologne Center for Prevention in Childhood, Youth/Heart Center Cologne, University Hospital of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany
Inga Bae-Gartz
Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Robert-Koch-Str. 16, 50931 Cologne, Germany
Esther Mahabir
Comparative Medicine, Center for Molecular Medicine, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, Robert-Koch-Str. 21, 50931 Cologne, Germany
Christine Joisten
Cologne Center for Prevention in Childhood, Youth/Heart Center Cologne, University Hospital of Cologne, Kerpener Str. 62, 50937 Cologne, Germany
Lifestyle during pregnancy impacts the health of the mother and child. However, the extent to which physical activity affects maternal biomarkers and factors that might influence birth weight remains unclear. We analysed data from two lifestyle interventions in which the effects of an exercise programme (2x/week, 60–90 min) on the course of pregnancy with regard to adipokines and offspring were evaluated. A total of 70 women participated in this study (45, intervention group; 25, control group). Anthropometric data and maternal fasting serum leptin and resistin levels were measured at three time points (approximately 14th (T1), 24th (T2), and 36th (T3) weeks of gestation). Neonatal/child data were retrieved from screening examinations. Independent of the intervention, we found a positive correlation between the fat mass at T1 and both leptin and resistin levels at all time points. Leptin level was significantly higher in the control group at T3; however, no differences between the groups were found for resistin. The birth weight was influenced by the birth length, fat mass at T1/T3, and resistin level at T2. The BMI-SDS at one year of age was influenced by maternal fat-free mass at T3 and resistin at T1/T2. Even if these results can only be interpreted cautiously, lifestyle interventions during pregnancy are important in promoting maternal and child health. Further randomised controlled trials and translational studies are warranted to clarify the underlying mechanisms.
