Adriëtte Oostvogels

prevalence of smoking during pregnancy in this group. 94,95 The increase in growth seen in the low socioeconomic group after 2 years is probably attributable to an unhealthier lifestyle, such as watching more TV, 96 less physical activity 97 and shorter sleep duration. 98,99 Chapter Title of the study Differences between boys and girls 2 Prepregnancy weight status, early pregnancy lipid profile and blood pressure course during pregnancy No formal testing 3 Maternal prepregnancy BMI, early pregnancy lipid profile and offspring’s body composition in childhood No significant interaction was found between maternal pBMI and offspring’s sex. 4 Maternal early pregnancy lipid profile and offspring’s lipids and glycaemic control in childhood Significant interactions were found between maternal pBMI and offspring’s sex. In most cases, the associations were stronger in girls. 5 Maternal and paternal family history of diabetes in second-degree relatives and metabolic outcomes in childhood No significant interaction was found between maternal pBMI and offspring’s sex. 6 Prepregnancy weight status and offspring’s growth patterns from birth up to 7 years Differences in growth patterns were larger in girls, but a significant interaction between maternal weight status and offspring’s sex was found only for height gain. 7 Maternal prepregnancy BMI, early postnatal growth and offspring’s metabolic profile in childhood Associations were slightly stronger in girls, but no significant interaction was found between maternal pBMI and offspring’s sex. 8 Ethnic and socioeconomic inequalities in growth to childhood overweight No significant interaction was found between maternal pBMI and offspring’s sex. Table 1. Summary of boy-girl differences found in this thesis Differences between boys and girls Until now, little attention has been paid to sex-specific effects of maternal overweight on childhood cardiometabolic profile. The studies presented in this thesis revealed that girls are more susceptible to adverse outcomes due to maternal overweight than boys (Table 1). In girls, more and stronger associations were found between maternal and offspring’s lipids. Moreover, differences in SD scores in weight and BMI of children of normal weight and obese mothers were larger for girls than for boys. However, these studies need to be replicated as only one other study found similar results. 44 Additionally, girls of mothers with gestational diabetes were more adipose at age 9 years compared to girls of mothers without diabetes, while for boys no differences were found. 100 In contrast to these studies, another study found that maternal adiposity affected body fat in boys more than in girls. 101 Little 230 Chapter 9