Mothers' poor sleep quality in late pregnancy linked to higher obesity risk in their children

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New research has found that mothers with poor sleep quality in late pregnancy had babies with lower weight in the first six months of life but higher weight at ages 1–2 years. This effect was strongest in male infants and in babies born at term.

Findings from the study suggest that incorporating sleep quality assessments into routine prenatal care could facilitate early identification of at-risk pregnancies, and addressing poor sleep quality could benefit the health of both mother and child. The findings were published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Sleep health in pregnancy and childhood obesity are two major, modifiable public health concerns. Global childhood and adolescent obesity rates more than doubled from 1990 to 2022, now affecting more than 390 million children ages 5–19.

Studies have found that poor sleep health is associated with various health conditions, including diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease. Human and animal studies have also suggested that pregnancy sleep quality can be a factor in the intergenerational transmission of obesity risk from mother to child.

Rapid weight gain during infancy is a risk factor for obesity in later childhood. Understanding the effects of pregnancy sleep health on early childhood growth trajectories could help mitigate impacts on children's metabolic health.

Most previous research has been cross-sectional or conducted in children older than 2. Furthermore, the association between pregnancy sleep health and childhood obesity has not been extensively studied in Hispanic populations in the U.S., which have higher rates of overweight and obesity than other racial or ethnic groups.

Sleep quality and infant growth

This study investigated a group of 645 mother-child pairs from the prospective pregnancy cohort Maternal and Developmental Risks from Environmental and Social Stressors (MADRES) in Los Angeles. Researchers evaluated late-pregnancy sleep quality using the Jenkins Sleep Scale questionnaire. Children's height and weight were measured at follow-up visits at the University of Southern California clinic or abstracted from medical records.

Most mothers reported mild to moderate sleep disturbance, but 26% had poor sleep quality. Children whose mothers reported the worst sleep quality had lower weights from birth to 6 months but higher weights thereafter. At age 1, the difference in weight was 346.7 grams (12 ounces), and the greatest difference was observed at 17 months: 751.5 grams (1.7 pounds).

The study underscores the importance of maintaining good sleep health during pregnancy. The findings suggest that the observed associations are primarily driven by poor late-pregnancy sleep quality and are not explained by other traditionally identified prenatal and postnatal factors, such as childhood feeding practices.

Potential biological pathways

Senior author Carrie V. Breton, MPH, Ph.D., professor at the Bursky School of Public Health, Washington University in St. Louis, and adjunct professor in the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, says, "Our research supports the notion that exposures during critical developmental windows of pregnancy can program offspring health.

"Several biological mechanisms may link late-pregnancy sleep health to children's weight trajectories. For instance, poor sleep may affect maternal or child metabolic health programming, or both, which in turn could affect neonatal fat mass distribution and lead to abnormal lipid profiles or higher inflammation. Alternatively, stress pathways associated with higher childhood obesity risk may also play a role."

Lead author Xiaoran Yang, MPH, a Ph.D. graduate from the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, adds, "Poor sleep health in pregnancy is common and often overlooked, and our findings suggest that monitoring it in routine prenatal care could be a simple and powerful step toward healthier growth for the next generation."

Publication details

Self-Reported Sleep Quality in Late Pregnancy Is Associated With Early-Childhood Growth Trajectories in Children Aged 0−2 Years in Hispanic Populations, American Journal of Preventive Medicine (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2026.108546

Journal information: American Journal of Preventive Medicine

Clinical categories

Obstetrics & gynecologyPregnancySleep medicinePediatricsChildren's healthSleep & RecoveryPreventive medicineWeight management Provided by Elsevier Who's behind this story?

Sadie Harley

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