The role of prenatal maternal sex steroid hormones in weight and adiposity at birth and growth trajectories during infancy.

Objective: Intrauterine factors can impact fetal and child growth and may underlie the developmental origins of childhood obesity. Sex steroid hormone exposure during pregnancy is a plausible target because of the impact on placental vascularization, nutrient transportation, bone growth, adipogenesis, and epigenetic modifications. In this study we assessed maternal sex steroid hormones in each trimester in relation to birthweight, neonatal adiposity, and infant growth trajectories, and evaluate sensitive windows of development.