Newborn Body Fat: Associations with Maternal Metabolic State and Placental Size

Abstract

Maternal BMI and fasting glucose were independently associated with newborn percentage fat. This effect disappeared by introducing placental weight as a covariate. Several metabolic factors associated with maternal BMI were associated with placental weight, but not with neonatal body fat. Our findings are consistent with a concept that the effects of maternal BMI and a number of BMI-related metabolic factors on fetal fat accretion to a significant extent act by modifying placental weight.