biostudies-literatureWood CTNIH HHS2085-2091https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC10938641biostudies-literatureUnknown94(6)<h4>Background</h4>We aimed to understand the association between maternal stress in the first year of life and childhood body mass index (BMI) from 2 to 4 years of age in a large, prospective United States-based consortium of cohorts.<h4>Methods</h4>We used data from the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes program. The main exposure was maternal stress in the first year of life measured with the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). The main outcome was the first childhood BMI percentile after age 2 until age 4 years. We used an adjusted linear mixed effects model to examine associations between BMI and PSS quartile.<h4>Results</h4>The mean BMI percentile in children was 59.8 (SD 30) measured at 3.0 years (SD 1) on average. In both crude models and models adjusted for maternal BMI, age, race, ethnicity, infant birthweight, and health insurance status, no linear associations were observed between maternal stress and child BMI.<h4>Conclusions</h4>Among 1694 maternal-infant dyads, we found no statistically significant relationships between maternal perceived stress in the first year of life and child BMI after 2 through 4 years.<h4>Impact</h4>Although existing literature suggests relationships between parental stress and childhood BMI, we found no linear associations between maternal stress in the first year of life and childhood BMI at 2-4 years of age among participants in ECHO cohorts. Higher maternal stress was significantly associated with Hispanic ethnicity, Black race, and public health insurance. Our analysis of a large, nationally representative sample challenges assumptions that maternal stress in the first year of life, as measured by a widely used scale, is associated with offspring BMI.Pediatric researchMaternal stress and early childhood BMI among US children from the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program.PMC10938641UG3 OD023320UG3 OD023342UG3 OD023244U24 OD023319UG3 OD023272UG3 OD035517UG3 OD035516UG3 OD023282UH3 OD023251UH3 OD023272UH3 OD023282UG3 OD035546UG3 OD035513UH3 OD023244UH3 OD023320UH3 OD023342UH3 OD023337UH3 OD023313UH3 OD023268U2C OD023375U24 OD023382UH3 OD023349Catellier DJBosquet-Enlow MSmith PBGern JStroustrup ASchantz SAlshawabkeh ANTeitelbaum SLDeoni SO'Connor TGBrown CLZeiger RNewby KLSchmidt RWood CTHipwell AEGershon RWoodruff TGogcu SBacharier LWeiss SBrunwasser SMO'Connor GChurchill MLHuddleston KCLyall KJacobson LPKattan MLee-Sarwar KAschner JGeiger SPermanente KSimhan HWright RJHartert TVO'Shea TMRivera-Spoljaric KMoog NKZimmerman EZhang XMcGrath Mprogram collaborators for Environmental influences on Child Health OutcomesWood RCella DfalseMaternal stress and early childhood BMI among US children from the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) program.<h4>Background</h4>We aimed to understand the association between maternal stress in the first year of life and childhood body mass index (BMI) from 2 to 4 years of age in a large, prospective United States-based consortium of cohorts.<h4>Methods</h4>We used data from the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes program. The main exposure was maternal stress in the first year of life measured with the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). The main outcome was the first childhood BMI percentile after age 2 until age 4 years. We used an adjusted linear mixed effects model to examine associations between BMI and PSS quartile.<h4>Results</h4>The mean BMI percentile in children was 59.8 (SD 30) measured at 3.0 years (SD 1) on average. In both crude models and models adjusted for maternal BMI, age, race, ethnicity, infant birthweight, and health insurance status, no linear associations were observed between maternal stress and child BMI.<h4>Conclusions</h4>Among 1694 maternal-infant dyads, we found no statistically significant relationships between maternal perceived stress in the first year of life and child BMI after 2 through 4 years.<h4>Impact</h4>Although existing literature suggests relationships between parental stress and childhood BMI, we found no linear associations between maternal stress in the first year of life and childhood BMI at 2-4 years of age among participants in ECHO cohorts. Higher maternal stress was significantly associated with Hispanic ethnicity, Black race, and public health insurance. Our analysis of a large, nationally representative sample challenges assumptions that maternal stress in the first year of life, as measured by a widely used scale, is associated with offspring BMI.2023-01-01T00:00:00Z2023 Dec2025-04-22T12:59:04.522Z2025-04-06T00:30:23.813ZS-EPMC109386413747974610.1038/s41390-023-02750-8