Review Article

Maternal Body Mass Index and Risk of Congenital Heart Defects in Infants: A Dose-Response Meta-Analysis

Table 1

Characteristics of included studies.

Author (year)CountryStudy periodStudy size noNo of casesStudy designBMI (kg/m2)RR (95%CI) Adjustment factorsStudy conclusionNOS

Persson, 2017Sweden2001-20141,243,95720,074Cohort study<18.5
18.5-24.9
25.0-29.9
30.0-34.9
35.0-39.9
≥40.0
0.99(0.90-1.09)
1.00
1.05(1.01-1.08)
1.15(1.09-1.20)
1.26(1.16-1.37)
1.44(1.27-1.63)
Maternal age, height, parity, early pregnancy, smoking status, education level, maternal country of birth, family situation, sex of offspringRisks of infants CHDs progressively increased with increasing severity of maternal overweight and obesity.8

Warrick, 2015The United States2005-201118,226117Cohort study<18.5
18.5-24.9
25.0-29.9
≥30.0
0.61(0.22-1.67)
1.00
0.63(0.39-1.03)
0.90(0.57-1.45)
NANo significant differences in maternal obesity between
mothers with and without CHDs infants were shown.
7

Brite, 2014The United States2002-2008121,8151,388Cohort study<18.5
18.5-24.9
25.0-29.9
≥30.0
1.08(0.85-1.38)
1.00
1.15(1.01-1.32)
1.26(1.09-1.44)
Site, maternal age, race, insurance, maternal smokingIncreasing maternal weight class was associated with increased risk for CHDs in infants.7

Rankin, 2010England2003-200530,703270Cohort study<18.5
18.5-24.9
25.0-29.9
≥30.0
1.55(0.90-2.66)
1.00
0.75(0.55-1.02)
1.16(0.84-1.59)
Maternal age, ethnicity, pre-gestational diabetes, cigarette smoking status, index of multiple deprivation.No significant associations were found between maternal BMI and infants CHDs risk.7

Cedergren, 2006Sweden1992-2001770,3556,346Cohort study<20.0
20.0-24.9
25.0-29.9
≥30.0
0.97(0.89-1.05)
1.00
1.03(0.97-1.09)
1.18(1.09-1.29)
NAMaternal obesity was more common in pregnancies with infants affected by CHDs.7

Moore, 2000The United States1984-198722,95160Cohort study<25.0
25.0-27.9
≥28.0
1.00
0.67(0.24-1.86)
0.93(0.37-2.34)
NAThere was no evidence of an excess risk of CHDs in infants among the obese women.7

Tang, 2015The United States1997-20082,147553Case-control study<18.5
18.5-24.9
25.0-29.9
≥30.0
0.64(0.35-1.15)
1.00
1.38(1.09-1.75)
1.56(1.21-2.00)
NAThe risk of CHDs was closely
related to maternal obesity.
7

Gharderian, 2013The United States2011-2012322164Case-control study<18.5
18.5-24.9
25.0-29.9
≥30.0
0.85(0.32-2.27)
1.00
1.28(0.78-2.09)
1.11(0.57-2.16)
NAThere might not be a relation between maternal BMI and having a child with CHDs.7

Madsen, 2012The United States1992-2007107,9017,547Case-control study<18.5
18.5-24.9
25.0-29.9
≥30.0
1.02(0.91-1.15)
1.00
1.03(0.97-1.10)
1.22(1.15-1.30)
Gestational diabetesThe significant association between infants CHDs and maternal obesity was confirmed.8

Gilboa, 2010The United States1998-200312,1136,440Case-control study<18.5
18.5-24.9
25.0-29.9
30.0-34.9
≥35.0
0.96(0.80-1.16)
1.00
1.16(1.05-1.29)
1.15(1.00-1.32)
1.31(1.11-1.56)
Maternal age, race-ethnicity, education, hypertension, parity, smoking, folic acid supplement useMothers of CHDs infants were more likely than mothers of control infants to
be overweight, moderately obese or severely obese.
7

Mills, 2010The United States1993-200363,6967,392Case-control study<19.0
19.0-24.0
25.0-29.0
≥30.0
1.00(0.91-1.10)
1.00
1.00(0.94-1.06)
1.15(1.07-1.23)
Maternal age, education, race, smoking, and payment method for health care.Obese, but not overweight, women are at significantly
increased risk of bearing children with CHDs.
8

Oddy, 2009Australia1997-2000529111Case-control study<20.0
20.0-24.9
25.0-29.9
≥30.0
0.74(0.40-1.36)
1.00
0.79(0.45-1.41)
1.34(0.63-2.84)
Marital status, maternal age, maternal education and periconceptional folic acid supplementationNo significant associations were found between maternal BMI and infants CHDs risk.8

Khalil, 2008Saudi Arabia1998-2005428214Case-control study19.0-25.0
30.0-34.9
≥35.0
1.00
0.78(0.51-1.19)
1.57(0.84-2.92)
NANo association was found between maternal weight and isolated CHDs in the offspring.7

Shaw, 2008The United States1999-20041578278Case-control study<18.5.
20.0-24.9
25.0-29.9
≥30.0
0.84(0.46-1.56)
1.00
1.18(0.87-1.60)
0.75(0.49-1.15)
NAThe association between maternal BMI and CHDs in infants was not significant.7

Waller, 2007The United States1997-200280324128Case-control study<18.5.
20.0-24.9
25.0-29.9
≥30.0
1.12(0.93-1.36)
1.00
1.13(1.01-1.26)
1.40(1.24-1.59)
Maternal age, ethnicity, education, parity, smoking in the month prior to conception, and supplemental folic acid intakeObesity or overweight women had a modest increase in the risk of infants CHDs.8

Martinez, 2005Spain1976-20016973813Case-control study≤20.9
21.0-24.9
25.0-29.9
≥30.0
1.00(0.83-1.20)
1.00
1.17(0.97-1.41)
1.16(0.87-1.56)
NAMaternal overweight or obesity did not increase the risk of CHDs in infants.7

Watkins, 2003The United States1993-1997525195Case-control study<18.5.
20.0-24.9
25.0-29.9
≥30.0
1.70(0.90-3.10)
1.00
2.00(1.20-3.10)
2.00(1.20-3.40)
NAThe significant association between infants CHDs and maternal obesity was confirmed.7

Cedergren 2002Sweden1982-1996677231Case-control study<19.8.
19.8-25.9
26.0-28.9
≥29.0
1.46(0.97-2.21)
1.00
1.16(0.64-2.09)
1.68(0.94-3.00)
NAThe associations between maternal BMI and infants CHDs risk was not confirmed.7

Watkins, 2001The United States1982-19833618851Case-control study<16.5.
16.5-19.8
19.9-22.7
22.8-26.0
26.1-29.0
>29.0
0.78(0.55-1.11)
0.97(0.81-1.17)
1.00
0.84(0.67-1.06)
1.37(0.92-2.03)
1.24(0.80-1.90)
Race, birth period, age, education, alcohol use, smoking, chronic illness, and vitamin useThere might not be a relation between maternal BMI and having a child with CHDs.8

BMI, body mass index; RR, relative risk; CI, confidence interval; NA, not available; NOS, Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.