Lawn RB, et al. - This study assessed links between maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG), and daughters’ age at menarche, pubarche (Tanner stage 2 for pubic hair) and thelarche (Tanner stage 2 for breast development). Findings demonstrated an association of greater pre-pregnancy BMI and GWG with earlier daughters’ pubertal age, and these were mediated by daughters’ pre-pubertal BMI.

Methods

• Researchers assessed links between maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG), and daughters’ age at menarche (n = 3,935), pubarche (Tanner stage 2 for pubic hair) and thelarche (Tanner stage 2 for breast development) (n = 2,942) in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a UK prospective pregnancy cohort (baseline 1991–1992).

Results

• Data showed that mean menarcheal age was 12.6 (standard deviation, 1.2) years.
• Researchers observed that both maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and GWG were inversely associated with daughters’ menarcheal age with adjustment for maternal age, parity, socioeconomic status, smoking, maternal menarcheal age, and ethnicity: (mean difference = -0.34 months, 95% confidence interval: -0.45, -0.22 per 1 kg/m² and -0.17 months, 95% confidence interval: -0.26, -0.07 per kg, respectively).
• They also noted that links remained unchanged with adjustment for birth weight and gestational age but attenuated to the null when daughters’ pre-pubertal BMI was adjusted for.
• In addition, similar results were found for age at pubarche and thelarche.