Adriëtte Oostvogels

Chapter 5 compared the body composition and glucose metabolism in 5-6 year- old-children without second degree family history of diabetes (FHD) (n=2226), with outcomes in children with maternal only (n=353), paternal only (n=281) or both maternal and paternal (n=164) second-degree FHD. After adjusting for covariates no differences in body composition were found between the four FHD groups. However, children with both maternal and paternal FHD had increased C-peptide levels compared to children with no, maternal or paternal FHD. In Chapter 6 postnatal weight, height and BMI growth was compared between children of mothers with prepregnancy normal weight (n=3354), overweight (n=711) and obesity (n=241) for boys and girls separately. Children of mothers with overweight or obesity grew faster in weight and BMI than children of mothers with normal weight. Girls of mothers with overweight and obesity deviated earlier from girls of mothers with normal weight compared to boys. Moreover, at age 7, ΔSDS of all growth measures between children of mothers with normal weight and obesity were higher for girls but not for boys. Furthermore, girls of mothers with obesity were taller from 3 years onwards, while no long-lasting difference in height growth was found for boys. Chapter 7 describes the associations between maternal pBMI, postnatal growth from 1-3 months and cardiometabolic profile at age 5-6 years in 1459 mother-child pairs and describes the role (independent/ mediating/moderating) of postnatal growth in this association. A higher maternal pBMI was associated with higher offspring’s WHtR, SBP, DBP and metabolic score. Increased postnatal weight and weight-for-length gain was independently of maternal pBMI associated with higher WHtR and metabolic score, moreover weight gain was positively associated with fasting glucose values. Postnatal growth did not mediate the associations between maternal pBMI and outcomes at age 5-6 years. However, postnatal growth did modify the associations between maternal pBMI and SBP (weight gain), TG (weight-for- length gain) and metabolic score (both): the most detrimental childhood outcomes were found for the combination of high maternal pBMI and accelerated weight- or weight-for-length gain. In Chapter 8 growth patterns to overweight at age 5-6 years of 3387 children from European origin and non-European origin and from children with different socioeconomic backgrounds were compared. No differences in growth patterns to overweight were found between children of European origin and non-European origin. Children from the low/middle socioeconomic group had a lower BMI during the first 2 years, but then increased rapidly in BMI and had at age 7 years a higher mean BMI than children from in the high socioeconomic group. 248