PhD defence R. (Romy) Gonçalves

Below is a brief summary of the dissertation: 

This thesis explores how early-life growth and maternal health influence childhood vascular, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive outcomes. The first trimester is a critical phase of rapid fetal and placental development. The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) framework, emphasizes that adverse intrauterine conditions, particularly during the first trimester can have long-term effects on health. Using data from large-scale population-based cohorts, including the Generation R and Generation R Next Studies and the EU Child Cohort Network, associations between fetal and infant growth patterns and later-life outcomes were assessed.

Findings show that greater gestational age and higher birth weight are linked to fewer behavioral problems, lower ADHD symptoms, and higher cognitive scores in childhood and adolescence. In contrast, children born preterm of small for gestational age exhibited more emotional and behavioral problems and had a lower IQ. Accelerated fetal and infant growth was associated with higher IQ, but there seems to be a trade-off with vascular health and the risk of obesity in later life.

Maternal cardiovascular health in early pregnancy is an important determinant of offspring neurodevelopment, with poorer maternal cardiovascular profiles linked to higher behavioral problem scores and lower IQ in early adolescence. However, childhood vascular measures such as carotid intima-media thickness, blood pressure, and retinal vessel calibers were not associated with emotional, behavioral or cognitive outcomes, possibly due to the relatively healthy population under review.

Overall, the findings highlight that fetal and infant growth, alongside maternal cardiovascular health, play crucial roles in shaping later-life developmental and cognitive outcomes.