Maternal Obesity During Pregnancy and Cardiometabolic Development in the Offspring

Abstract

Maternal obesity during pregnancy is a major public health problem worldwide. In Western countries, obesity prevalence rates in pregnant women are estimated to be as high as 30 %. In addition, it is estimated that in these countries approximately 40%of women gain an excessive amount of gestational weight. An accumulating body of evidence strongly suggests a long-term impact of maternal obesity and excessive weight gain during pregnancy on adiposity and cardiometabolic related health outcomes in the offspring throughout the life course. Maternal obesity during pregnancy may lead to developmental adaptations in the offspring, predisposing to an increased risk of adverse cardiometabolic outcomes in later life. Thus far, it remains unclear whether these associations are explained by causal underlying mechanisms or reflect confounding by various family-based socio-demographic, nutritional, lifestyle-related and genetic characteristics. Further research to explore the causality, underlying mechanisms, and potential for pre- vention of cardiometabolic disease in future generations by reducing maternal obesity and excessive weight gain during pregnancy is needed.