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Valeria Hirschler, MD; María I. Roque, MD; María L. Calcagno, MS; Claudio Gonzalez, MD; Claudio Aranda, MD

Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2007;161(12):1205-1210.

Objective  To determine the association between metabolic syndrome (MS) components in 620 children and their mothers.

Design  Cross-sectional assessment.

Setting  Three public elementary schools in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Participants  A total of 620 students at a mean ± SD age of 9.00 ± 2.07 years and their mothers at a mean ± SD age of 37.69 ± 7.19 years.

Main Outcomes Measures  The association between MS in children and components of MS in their mothers, such as body mass index (BMI) (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration, triglycerides concentration, glucose concentration, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, blood pressure, and age.

Results  Ninety-five (15.3%) of the children were obese (BMI  95th percentile), 108 (17.4%) were overweight (BMI  85th percentile and < 95th percentile), and 418 (67.3%) were a healthy weight (BMI < 85th percentile). One hundred twelve (18.1%) of the mothers were obese (BMI  30), 183 (29.5%) were overweight (BMI  25 and < 30), and 325 (52.4%) were a healthy weight (BMI < 25). Low concentration of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (in 46.0% and 56.9% of mothers and children, respectively) and central obesity (in 36.0% and 25.0% of mothers and children, respectively) were common, whereas hypertension (in 10.5% and 1.9% of mothers and children, respectively) and impaired fasting glucose (in 2.9% and 0.3% of mothers and children, respectively) were infrequent. The prevalence of MS was 10.8% in children and 11.0% in mothers. Central obesity was less frequent in mothers of children without MS vs mothers of those with MS (41.2% vs 78.8%, respectively; P < .001). Mothers of children without MS had fewer MS components than did mothers of children with MS (BMI z score, 0.09 vs 0.69, respectively [P < .001]; waist circumference z score, 0.15 vs 0.87, respectively [P < .001]). Mothers' waist circumference was a significant independent predictor of their children's MS when adjusted for mothers' concentrations of triglycerides, cholesterol, and glucose and age (odds ratio, 2.11; 95% confidence interval, 1.36-3.26).

Conclusion  A mother's waist circumference predicts her child's MS, consistent with known familial associations of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Author Affiliations: Departments of Nutrition and Diabetes (Drs Hirschler and Roque) and Chemistry (Dr Aranda), Hospital Durand, and School of Pharmacy and Biochemistry (Ms Calcagno) and Pharmacology Department, Medical School (Dr Gonzalez), University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

RELATED LETTERS

Maternal Waist Circumference and the Prediction of Children's Metabolic Syndrome
Mehmet Emre Atabek
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2008;162(7):697.
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Maternal Waist Circumference and the Prediction of Children's Metabolic Syndrome—Reply
Valeria Hirschler
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2008;162(7):697-698.
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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Maternal Waist Circumference and the Prediction of Children's Metabolic Syndrome
Atabek
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2008;162:697-697.
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Maternal Waist Circumference and the Prediction of Children's Metabolic Syndrome--Reply
Hirschler
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2008;162:697-698.
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