# Preconception Maternal Nutrition, Offspring DNA Methylation, and InfantGrowth in Low Resource Settings

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER · 2023 · $582,380

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
 High ambient temperature and heat stress, closely linked to climate change are an imminent threat to the
health of mothers and children globally. Chronic nutritional impoverishments already contribute to inadequate
fetal and postnatal growth in many developing countries. The goal of this administrative supplement is to
examine the double-burden of poor maternal nutrition and heat exposure by linking state-of-the-art thermal
stress indicators, anthropometry, and epigenetics. Data from a multi-country randomized controlled trial
(Women First, NCT01883193) revealed detrimental impact of excessive heat in the first trimester on birth
length and head circumference of the infant in Pakistan, one of the four trial sites. This trial, which compared
the effects of a comprehensive nutritional supplement (CNS) uncovered that impacts of heat on birth length
were mitigated in women randomized to CNS suggesting potential interactions between heat and maternal
nutritional status. This administrative supplement will conduct analysis of thermal stress indices among all
sites of the WF trial (4 countries on 3 continents) integrating universal thermal climate index (UTCI) with
existing longitudinal anthropometric data (from birth to 24 mo) and newly generated epigenetic data from the
WF trial. Studies in Specific Aim 1 will examine associations between UTCI in mother-child dyads and
neonatal/child outcomes from birth through 2 y of age and effect-modification by CNS supplementation.
Using newly developed high-resolution spatiotemporal maps of UTCI derived from the ERA5-Land reanalysis
(HiTiSEA), the studies will examine 1) associations between maternal heat stress and fetal growth in all sites
(DRC, Guatemala, India and Pakistan, n= 2,442) from the WF trial; 2) associations between heat exposure
and child growth in the first two years of life; and 3) examine interactions between heat and maternal CNS
supplementation. In Specific Aim 2, we will examine the interaction between UTCI and nutritional status on
placental (N = 463) and neonatal DNA methylation (buccal, 3 months, N = 391). Leveraging DNAme data
generated in the parent R01, we will investigate associations between maternal heat exposure (UTCImax) in
each trimester and targeted DNAme (metastable epialleles & epigenetic age acceleration) and an
epigenome-wide association analysis. Collectively the proposed work will bridge critical gaps in our current
understanding of how climate and environmental change adversely impact pregnant women and children,
and the potential for nutrition to mitigate this burden.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10838014
- **Project number:** 3R01HD110585-01S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER
- **Principal Investigator:** Sarah Jean Borengasser
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $582,380
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2023-04-01 → 2028-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10838014

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10838014, Preconception Maternal Nutrition, Offspring DNA Methylation, and InfantGrowth in Low Resource Settings (3R01HD110585-01S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10838014. Licensed CC0.

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