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Cited by 24Birth, Development, and HealthGestational Diabetes Research and ManagementObesity, Physical Activity, Diet

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Maternal nutrition and its intergenerational links to non-communicable disease metabolic risk factors: a systematic review and narrative synthesis

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Wilkins, Elizabeth, Wickramasinghe, Kremlin, Pullar, Jessie, Demaio, Alessandro R., Roberts, Nia, Perez-Blanco, Karla-Maria, Noonan, Katharine, Townsend, Nick·2021·Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition
DOI 10.1186/s41043-021-00241-2PMC PMC8077952
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Abstract

Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of death and disability globally, while malnutrition presents a major global burden. An increasing body of evidence suggests that poor maternal nutrition is related to the development of NCDs and their risk factors in adult offspring. However, there has been no systematic evaluation of this evidence. Methods: We searched eight electronic databases and reference lists for primary research published between 1 January 1996 and 31 May 2016 for studies presenting data on various dimensions of maternal nutritional status (including maternal exposure to famine, maternal gestational weight gain (GWG), maternal weight and/or body mass index (BMI), and maternal dietary intake) during pregnancy or lactation, and measures of at least one of three NCD metabolic risk factors (blood pressure, blood lipids and blood glucose) in the study population of offspring aged 18 years or over. Owing to high heterogeneity across exposures and outcomes, we employed a narrative approach for data synthesis (PROSPERO= CRD42016039244, CRD42016039247). Results: Twenty-seven studies from 10 countries with 62,607 participants in total met our inclusion criteria. The review revealed considerable heterogeneity in findings across studies. There was evidence of a link between maternal exposure to famine during pregnancy with adverse blood pressure, blood lipid, and glucose metabolism outcomes in adult offspring in some contexts, with some tentative support for an influence of adult offspring adiposity in this relationship. However, the evidence base for maternal BMI, GWG, and dietary intake of specific nutrients during pregnancy was more limited and revealed no consistent support for a link between these exposures and adult offspring NCD metabolic risk factors. Conclusion: The links identified between maternal exposure to famine and offspring NCD risk factors in some contexts, and the tentative support for the role of adult offspring adiposity in influencing this relationship, suggest the need for increased collaboration between maternal nutrition and NCD sectors. However, in view of the current scant evidence base for other aspects of maternal nutrition, and the overall heterogeneity of findings, ongoing monitoring and evaluation using large prospective studies and linked data sets is a major priority.

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  • There is a close relationship between maternal dietary trends and metabolic health, as well as the risk of non-communicable disease development in children, such as obesity, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome.

    “There is a close relationship between maternal dietary trends and metabolic health, as well as the risk of non-communicable disease development in children, such as obesity, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome (15).”

    From Maternal nutritional status and the risk of metabolic syndrome in pregnancy: implications for public health nutrition (2026) · cites this paper as [15]

    The Background describes a possible link between sub-optimal maternal nutrition and later offspring metabolic risk factors, including overweight or obesity and impaired glucose tolerance. But the Discussion reports a link chiefly for famine exposure in some contexts and no consistent support for maternal dietary intake; the review focuses on adult offspring, not children, and does not establish the claimed close relationship across obesity, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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Metadata

Authors
Wilkins, E., Wickramasinghe, K., Pullar, J., Demaio, A. R., Roberts, N., Perez-Blanco, K.-M., Noonan, K., & Townsend, N.
Affiliations
  • University of Oxford (GB)
  • Government of Western Australia Department of Health (AU)
  • University of Bath (GB)
Corresponding author
Townsend, Nick
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2021-04-26
Volume
40
Issue
1
Pages
20-20
ISSN
  • 1606-0997 (ISSN-L)
  • 2072-1315
DOI
10.1186/s41043-021-00241-2
PMC
PMC8077952
OpenAlex
W3159346440
Cited by
24
References
1
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 2
FWCI
0.97
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Journal of Health Population and Nutrition (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Explore Bristol Research (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Bristol Research (University of Bristol) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
World Health Organization (2016/630545-0)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Birth, Development, and Health
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Obstetrics and Gynecology › Gestational Diabetes Research and Management
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
Keywords
maternal nutrition, non-communicable diseases, metabolic risk factors, gestational weight gain, maternal body mass index, maternal diet, offspring adiposity, blood pressure, serum lipids, blood glucose, intergenerational health, malnutrition
MeSH terms
Global Burden of Disease, Noncommunicable Diseases, Diet, Female, Humans, Male, Nutritional Status, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Complications, Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects, Risk Factors, Adult Children, Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena, Malnutrition

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