Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 12, 2026

Modifying Levels of Maternal Dietary Folic Acid or Choline to Study the Impact of Deficiencies on Offspring Health Outcomes
03:19

Modifying Levels of Maternal Dietary Folic Acid or Choline to Study the Impact of Deficiencies on Offspring Health Outcomes

Published on: June 28, 2024

Impact of maternal obesity on offspring obesity and cardiometabolic disease risk

Amanda J Drake1, Rebecca M Reynolds

  • 1Endocrinology Unit, Queen's Medical Research Institute, Centre for Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh, EH16 6TJ, UK.

Reproduction (Cambridge, England)
|June 22, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Maternal obesity during pregnancy increases offspring

Area of Science:

  • Reproductive Health
  • Pediatric Health
  • Metabolic Disorders

Background:

  • Rising prevalence of maternal obesity globally.
  • Established short-term pregnancy complications.
  • Emerging evidence of long-term offspring health risks.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate long-term health consequences of maternal obesity on offspring.
  • Explore mechanisms linking maternal obesity to offspring disease risk.
  • Identify potential targets for prevention and intervention.

Main Methods:

  • Review of animal and human studies.
  • Analysis of offspring outcomes including obesity, body composition, and cardiometabolic health.
  • Examination of potential biological pathways involved.

Main Results:

  • Maternal obesity linked to increased offspring risk of obesity and altered body composition.
  • Offspring exhibit cardiometabolic dysregulation: impaired glucose/insulin homeostasis, hypertension, vascular dysfunction.
  • Potential mechanisms involve effects on offspring adipose tissue, pancreas, muscle, liver, vasculature, and brain development.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal obesity has profound, lasting adverse effects on offspring health.
  • Understanding these programming mechanisms is crucial for future interventions.
  • Aims to improve health for current and future generations through targeted strategies.

More Related Videos

Concurrent Collection of Fetal Murine Brain and Serum to Assess Effects of Maternal Diet on Nutrition and Neurodevelopment in Neurofibromatosis Type 105:44

Concurrent Collection of Fetal Murine Brain and Serum to Assess Effects of Maternal Diet on Nutrition and Neurodevelopment in Neurofibromatosis Type 1

Published on: May 17, 2024

Related Concept Videos

Obesity01:24

Obesity

The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a numerical value derived from a person's weight and height, used to categorize individuals into weight ranges. It is calculated using the formula: weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. Obesity is a health condition characterized by excessive accumulation of adipose tissue that poses health risks, often diagnosed with a BMI ≥ 30. This excess fat storage occurs when surplus dietary calories are converted into triglycerides and stored in adipocytes...
Pathophysiology of Diabetes01:20

Pathophysiology of Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia. The four categories of diabetes are type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, other specific types of diabetes, and gestational diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is characterized by autoimmune-mediated destruction of pancreatic β cells, with environmental factors potentially triggering this process in genetically susceptible individuals. Despite many not having a family history, certain genes increase susceptibility, suggesting a...
Pharmacokinetics in Obese Patients: Drug Metabolism and Excretion01:20

Pharmacokinetics in Obese Patients: Drug Metabolism and Excretion

Drug metabolism, a critical process in the liver, involves two primary phases: Phase I reactions and Phase II conjugation. Obesity introduces significant alterations in this metabolic process, primarily due to fatty infiltration of the liver, leading to conditions such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This condition can modify the activities of both Phase I and II enzymes, impacting how drugs are metabolized in obese patients.Phase I metabolism sees variable effects across...
Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational01:22

Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational

Type 2 diabetes, characterized by insulin resistance, arises when the insulin receptors on cells lose responsiveness to insulin, diminishing the cell's capacity to take up glucose, resulting in elevated blood glucose levels. To receive a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, a series of blood glucose tests are necessary to assess whether the blood glucose falls within normal parameters. If the result is out of the normal range, a patient may be diagnosed as prediabetic or diabetic, depending on the...
Pharmacokinetics in Obese Patients: Drug Absorption and Distribution01:25

Pharmacokinetics in Obese Patients: Drug Absorption and Distribution

Obesity significantly alters the pharmacokinetic processes of drug absorption and distribution, presenting unique challenges in medical treatment. The increased fat tissue and decreased lean muscle in obese individuals can significantly affect how drugs are absorbed into the body and distributed across different tissues. This alteration can lead to variances in the effectiveness and safety of medications, necessitating adjustments in dosing or drug selection for obese patients.One notable...
Type II Diabetes I: Introduction01:26

Type II Diabetes I: Introduction

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by insulin resistance, in which target tissues such as the liver, muscle, and adipose tissue respond poorly to insulin. It is also associated with inadequate compensatory insulin secretion, where pancreatic β-cells fail to produce sufficient insulin. Together, these abnormalities lead to persistent hyperglycemia.EtiologyT2DM develops through a complex interaction of genetic predisposition and environmental or...