How mother's obesity may affect the pregnancy and offspring

One of the main reasons for the epidemic of obesity, which has already influenced the economic condition of health system worldwide, is our modern lifestyle having an unbalanced calorie intake and insufficient physical activity. Maternal-fetal nourishment and metabolism are the mechanisms of fetal programming of obesity-adiposity and non-communicable diseases that have been most extensively investigated. A mother's obesity is related to adverse outcomes for both mother and baby. Maternal overnutrition is also associated with a higher risk of gestational diabetes, preterm birth, large-for-gestational-age babies, fetal defects, congenital anomalies, and perinatal death. Women with obesity should be encouraged to reduce their body mass index (BMI) prior to pregnancy, and to limit weight gain during pregnancy. Obstetric ultrasound imaging in pregnant women is negatively affected by abdominal adipose tissue, having an adverse influence on congenital anomaly detection rates and the estimation of fetal weight.