CSEMO2 - CSEM: Endocrinology & Metabolism Oral Abstracts: Obesity-Fertility Cohort: Results of the Assessment of Children aged 6 to 12 and their Mothers

Blinded Abstract: Introduction
Maternal obesity increases the risk of childhood obesity and may lead to long-term health complications for both. The preconception period offers a critical window of opportunities to implement preventive strategies and break this intergenerational cycle. However, few studies have assessed mother–child outcomes after preconception interventions.

Method
The objective was to evaluate metabolic outcomes in mothers and their children 6-12 years after participating in the Obesity-Fertility randomized controlled trial (RCT). This RCT assessed the potential effects of a healthy lifestyle intervention initiated during the preconception period and sustained throughout pregnancy. Anthropometric measures, body composition, blood lipids, lifestyle habits, and fitness levels were compared between groups (n = 32; 20 in the intervention group (IG) and 12 in the control group (CG)) using the Mann–Whitney U test for continuous variables and Fisher’s exact test for categorical variables.

Results
IG children were significantly more active than CG children (p= 0.02). Compared to CG, IG mothers significantly reduced their sedentary time at work (p= 0.02) and avoided an increase in time spent reading (p= 0.04). They also showed a trend toward maintaining their physical activity levels (p= 0.06) and preserving blood triglyceride levels (p= 0.08). No significant differences were observed between groups for anthropometric measures, body composition, or fitness levels.

Conclusion
Building on a modest sample size, this first mother-infant follow-up study of a preconception healthy lifestyle intervention sustained through pregnancy reveals significant effects and promising trends, particularly in supporting mothers to remain active and encourage physical activity in their children.