Reducing intergenerational obesity and diabetes risk

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Metabolic Disorders
• Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Background:

• Intergenerational transmission of obesity and diabetes necessitates improved maternal health strategies.
• Women of reproductive age are a key target for interventions to mitigate these risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review prenatal and preconception clinical trials for managing maternal health and intergenerational risks.
• To identify gaps and future directions for effective interventions.

Main Methods:

• Narrative review of existing prenatal and preconception clinical trial data.
• Analysis of intervention impacts on maternal weight, gestational diabetes, and offspring outcomes.

Main Results:

• Prenatal interventions yielded limited gestational weight gain and reduced gestational diabetes (20-30%) and macrosomia (20-40%), with minimal long-term offspring benefits.
• Preconception trials showed weight reduction (3-9 kg) and improved glucose metabolism, but sustained effects and offspring outcomes remain unclear.
• Evidence for reducing offspring obesity and diabetes risks from either intervention type is currently lacking.

Conclusions:

• Effective, scalable preconception strategies are urgently needed, particularly for high-risk, diverse populations.
• Future trials must prioritize interventions with dissemination potential, diverse cohorts, comprehensive phenotyping, and long-term offspring outcome assessment.