Exercise FITT-V in pregnancy with obesity: Preliminary findings for infant adiposity and intergenerational obesity risk.

Among women randomized to control, maternal BMI influenced infant adiposity, with infants exposed to obesity in utero having higher body fat percentage.

• This finding was statistically significant (p = 0.02)
• Comparison was made between infants born to mothers with healthy weight versus obesity in the control group
• Infant body composition was measured at 1 month of age via skinfold measurements
• This was a sub-analysis of a randomized controlled trial where women were randomized to supervised exercise or control for approximately 24 weeks during pregnancy

Birthweight was negatively correlated with infant body fat percentage at 1 month, such that offspring with lower birthweight had higher body fat.

• The correlation was statistically significant (R² = 0.38, p = 0.03)
• Body fat was measured via skinfold at 1 month of age
• This relationship was identified within the study sample of infants born to women with obesity

Maternal weekly exercise volume trended toward a negative association with infant body fat percentage.

• The association approached but did not reach conventional statistical significance (R² = 0.33, p = 0.06)
• Exercise FITT-V metrics (frequency, intensity, time, type, and volume) were collected from women randomized to supervised exercise
• The supervised exercise intervention lasted approximately 24 weeks during pregnancy

Maternal weekly exercise volume trended toward a negative association with infant mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) lipid content.

• The association approached but did not reach conventional statistical significance (R² = 0.21, p = 0.06)
• Infant MSCs were adipogenically differentiated and stained for lipid content
• MSC samples included cells from infants born to women with healthy weight (n = 16) and obesity (n = 21)
• This cellular outcome provides a measure of infant cellular adiposity separate from whole-body adiposity

Infant mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were used as a measure of cellular adiposity and were collected from infants born to women with healthy weight and obesity.

• MSCs were obtained from infants in two groups: healthy weight (n = 16) and obesity (n = 21)
• Cells were adipogenically differentiated and stained for lipid content
• This cellular assay served as a measure of intergenerational obesity risk at the cellular level
• The study design was a sub-analysis of a randomized controlled trial