Original article
The Role of Maternal Early-Life and Later-Life Risk Factors on Offspring Low Birth Weight: Findings From a Three-Generational Study

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2010.11.246Get rights and content

Abstract

Purpose

This study examined three research questions: (1) Is there an association between maternal early-life economic disadvantage and the birth weight of later-born offspring? (2) Is there an association between maternal abuse in childhood and the birth weight of later-born offspring? (3) To what extent are these early-life risks mediated through adolescent and adult substance use, mental and physical health status, and adult socioeconomic status (SES)?

Methods

Analyses used structural equation modeling to examine data from two longitudinal studies, which included three generations. The first generation (G1) and the second generation (G2) were enrolled in the Seattle Social Development Project (SSDP), and the third generation (G3) was enrolled in the SSDP Intergenerational Project. Data for the study (N = 136) focused on (G2) mothers enrolled in the SSDP and their children (G3).

Results

Analyses revealed that G2 low childhood SES predicted G3 offspring birth weight. Early childhood abuse among G2 respondents predicted G3 offspring birth weight through a mediated pathway including G2 adolescent substance use and G2 prenatal substance use. Birth weight was unrelated to maternal adult SES, depression, or obesity.

Conclusions

To our knowledge, this is the first study to identify the effect of maternal early-life risks of low childhood SES and child maltreatment on later-born offspring birth weight. These findings have far-reaching effects on the cumulative risk associated with early-life economic disadvantage and childhood maltreatment. Such findings encourage policies and interventions that enhance child health at birth by taking the mother's own early-life and development into account.

Section snippets

Sample and procedure

We used data from two longitudinal studies with first (G1), second (G2), and third (G3) generation participants. A sample was drawn from participants in the Seattle Social Development Project (SSDP) who were followed up at ages 10–27 years. The sample of 808 students (G2) and their parents (G1), recruited from 18 elementary schools in Seattle, Washington, in 1985, included equal numbers of males and females (50%) and ethnically diverse populations: 47% Caucasian, 26% African American, 22% Asian

Descriptive analysis and CFA

Table 1 shows descriptive statistics of all study variables. The CFA of latent constructs suggests support for the hypothesized measurement model. Model fit was acceptable (χ2 [130] = 104, p < .04, CFI = .94, RMSEA = .043). In preliminary analyses of these data, race (coded as black vs. non-Hispanic white) was included and was significantly correlated with low SES in childhood (r = .29, p < .05). However, there was no association between race and LBW, and the inclusion of race did not alter the

Discussion

In the study, results suggest a mediated pathway of influence from early childhood abuse through adolescent substance use and prenatal substance use influencing G3 birth weight. In addition, results suggest that G2 low childhood SES predicts G3 birth weight in a manner unmediated by measures tested in this model.

The finding that low SES in childhood has an unmediated effect on offspring birth weight is consistent with earlier studies that have linked offspring birth weight to adverse

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that the cumulative risk associated with low SES and maltreatment in childhood has implications for birth weight in children born in the next generation. To our knowledge, this is the first study that examined the pathways linking early-life maternal risk and offspring birth weight. We acknowledge that prenatal care is an important component of women's reproductive health. However, these findings suggest that important risks associated with offspring birth weight also occur

Acknowledgments

This publication was made possible by grant 1KL2RR025015-01 from the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and NIH Roadmap for Medical Research, as well as grants R01DA009679-(01-13) and 5R01DA023089-(01-02) from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Amelia R. Gavin conceived and designed the study and wrote the article. Karl G. Hill assisted in study design and conducted the analysis and assisted in writing and editing the article.

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