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. 2021 Apr 6;91(3):672–680. doi: 10.1038/s41390-021-01503-9

Table 4.

Associations of mode of delivery (unplanned cesarean, planned vs. vaginal delivery) with metabolic health and inflammation biomarkers during mid-childhood (N = 689) and early adolescence (N = 709) in Project Viva.

N Model 0 Model 1 Model 2
Mid-childhood outcomes
  Leptin (ng/mL)
    Vaginal 481 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.)
    CS unplanned/labor 90 −11.6 (−26.4, 6.2) −13.2 (−27.7, 4.1) −15.9 (−29.8, 0.8)
    CS planned/no labor 42 −6.3 (−28.4, 22.7) −14.1 (−34.6, 12.8) −15.0 (−35.2, 11.6)
  Adiponectin (µg/mL)
    Vaginal 481 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.)
    CS unplanned/labor 90 −5.0 (−16.6, 8.2) −4.9 (−16.5, 8.2) −5.3 (−16.9, 7.8)
    CS planned/no labor 42 −6.1 (−22.4, 13.6) −4.6 (−21.4, 15.8) −5.6 (−22.3, 14.7)
  Insulin (µU/mL)
    Vaginal 474 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.)
    CS unplanned/labor 89 −6.0 (−20.2, 10.7) −9.1 (−22.8, 7.1) −10.0 (−23.7, 6.0)
    CS planned/no labor 41 25.8 (−1.6, 60.8) 13.4 (−11.7, 45.7) 13.9 (−11.5, 46.7)
  Glucose (mg/dL)
    Vaginal 450 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.)
    CS unplanned/labor 84 −3.4 (−6.7, 0.0) −3.2 (−6.5, 0.2) −3.3 (−6.6, 0.2)
    CS planned/no labor 41 2.1 (−2.9, 7.3) 1.5 (−3.5, 6.9) 1.7 (−3.4, 7.0)
  HOMA-IR (U)
    Vaginal 436 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.)
    CS unplanned/labor 80 −12.4 (−26.8, 4.8) −13.7 (−27.8, 3.2) −14.9 (−28.9, 1.9)
    CS planned/no labor 39 23.5 (−5.1, 60.6) 11.5 (−14.7, 45.7) 10.6 (−15.6, 44.9)
  HDL-C (mg/dL)
    Vaginal 493 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.)
    CS unplanned/labor 89 1.1 (−4.2, 6.7) 0.8 (−4.5, 6.4) 0.9 (−4.3, 6.5)
    CS planned/no labor 45 −4.2 (−11.2, 3.4) −3.4 (−10.6, 4.4) −2.9 (−10.1, 5.0)
  Triglycerides (mg/dL)
    Vaginal 492 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.)
    CS unplanned/labor 89 0.1 (−8.7, 9.8) −0.4 (−9.2, 9.2) −0.5 (−9.3, 9.2)
    CS planned/no labor 45 −4.2 (−15.9, 9.2) −4.3 (−16.3, 9.4) −4.4 (−16.5, 9.4)
  IL-6 (pg/mL)
    Vaginal 481 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.)
    CS unplanned/labor 90 −16.2 (−30.8, 1.5) −16.3 (−30.8, 1.3) −15.3 (−30.0, 2.5)
    CS planned/no labor 42 6.1 (−19.9, 40.6) −0.9 (−25.5, 31.7) −4.3 (−28.1, 27.5)
  CRP (mg/L)
    Vaginal 489 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.)
    CS unplanned/labor 89 −0.9 (−31.6, 43.4) −4.8 (−34.0, 37.2) −7.5 (−35.8, 33.3)
    CS planned/no labor 49 50.8 (−9.3,150.6) 24.1 (−25.6,106.8) 16.6 (−30.1, 94.5)
  Metabolic risk z-score
    Vaginal 425 0.0 (ref.) 0.0 (ref.) 0.0 (ref.)
    CS unplanned/labor 76 −0.06 (−0.21, 0.09) −0.07 (−0.22, 0.08) −0.10 (−0.25, 0.05)
    CS planned/no labor 39 0.15 (−0.07, 0.37) 0.04 (−0.18, 0.26) 0.02 (−0.20, 0.24)
Early adolescent outcomes
  Leptin (ng/mL)
    Vaginal 534 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.)
    CS unplanned/labor 102 4.9 (−15.4, 30.1) 1.2 (−17.6, 24.4) −0.2 (−18.5, 22.3)
    CS planned/no labor 49 25.6 (−7.4, 70.4) 19.1 (−11.2, 59.8) 17.8 (−11.8, 57.5)
  Adiponectin (µg/mL)
    Vaginal 534 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.)
    CS unplanned/labor 102 −13.2 (−21.0, −4.7) −11.5 (−19.3, −3.0) −11.5 (−19.3, −2.9)
    CS planned/no labor 49 −10.9 (−22.0, 1.8) −10.6 (−21.6, 1.9) −10.7 (−21.7, 1.9)
  Insulin (µU/mL)
    Vaginal 533 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.)
    CS unplanned/labor 102 13.6 (−0.7, 30.0) 12.7 (−1.3, 28.6) 11.9 (−2.0, 27.7)
    CS planned/no labor 49 8.9 (−10.1, 31.9) 9.6 (−9.2, 32.5) 10.2 (−8.8, 33.2)
  Glucose (mg/dL)
    Vaginal 481 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.)
    CS unplanned/labor 92 −0.9 (−3.7, 2.0) −1.1 (−4.0, 1.8) −1.2 (−4.0, 1.8)
    CS planned/no labor 47 0.1 (−3.8, 4.2) −0.4 (−4.3, 3.7) −0.1 (−4.1, 4.0)
  HOMA-IR (U)
    Vaginal 465 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.)
    CS unplanned/labor 89 13.8 (−0.5, 30.3) 12.7 (−1.0, 28.3) 11.6 (−1.9, 27.0)
    CS planned/no labor 44 4.2 (−13.8, 25.9) 2.5 (−14.5, 22.9) 2.3 (−14.7, 22.7)
  HDL-C (mg/dL)
    Vaginal 534 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.)
    CS unplanned/labor 102 −2.3 (−7.3, 3.0) −1.8 (−6.8, 3.5) −1.5 (−6.5, 3.7)
    CS planned/no labor 49 −4.6 (−11.5, 2.8) −3.3 (−10.3, 4.2) −3.0 (−9.9, 4.6)
  Triglycerides (mg/dL)
    Vaginal 534 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.)
    CS unplanned/labor 102 −0.7 (−9.5, 8.9) −0.4 (−9.2, 9.2) −0.5 (−9.3, 9.1)
    CS planned/no labor 49 −4.2 (−16.0, 9.3) −6.7 (−18.2, 6.5) −6.6 (−18.1, 6.6)
  IL-6 (pg/mL)
    Vaginal 530 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.)
    CS unplanned/labor 102 4.9 (−9.1, 20.9) 3.1 (−10.6, 18.9) 3.1 (−10.7, 18.9)
    CS planned/no labor 49 −12.2 (−28.3, 7.6) −13.9 (−29.7, 5.5) −13.6 (−29.5, 6.0)
  CRP (mg/L)
    Vaginal 519 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.) 1.0 (ref.)
    CS unplanned/labor 98 12.7 (−13.1, 46.1) 6.6 (−17.3, 37.4) 4.5 (−18.8, 34.5)
    CS planned/no labor 47 12.3 (−22.6, 63.0) 2.1 (−29.1, 47.0) 0.2 (−30.3, 44.1)
  Metabolic risk z-score
    Vaginal 461 0.0 (ref.) 0.0 (ref.) 0.0 (ref.)
    CS unplanned/labor 85 0.09 (−0.01, 0.20) 0.08 (−0.02, 0.19) 0.08 (−0.03, 0.18)
    CS planned/no labor 43 0.08 (−0.07, 0.23) 0.05 (−0.10, 0.20) 0.04 (−0.10, 0.19)

Plasma metabolic health and inflammation biomarkers were log-transformed and thus data are presented as % difference (95% CI) [except for metabolic risk z-score, β (95% CI)]. We used stabilized inverse probability weights to account for censoring.

Model 0: adjusted for child age and sex.

Model 1: Model 0 + maternal prepregnancy BMI, age, education, and race/ethnicity.

Model 2: Model 1 + total GWG, pregnancy smoking, BW/GA z-score, and father’s BMI.

CRP C-reactive protein, HDL-C high-density lipoprotein, HOMA-IR homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, IL-6 interleukin-6.