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Maternal Obesity and Risk of Congenital Heart Defects.
Helena Meneses1,2, Luís Guedes-Martins1,2,3,4,5
1Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
Current Cardiology Reviews
|April 13, 2026
Summary
Maternal obesity increases congenital heart defect risk in newborns by 17-32%. Obesity disrupts fetal cardiac development through placental dysfunction and inflammation, highlighting the need for prevention strategies.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Developmental Biology
- Public Health
Background:
- Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are the most common congenital abnormalities, leading to significant morbidity and mortality.
- Maternal obesity is a known risk factor for various pregnancy and fetal complications.
- Understanding the link between maternal obesity and CHDs is crucial for developing preventive measures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the association between maternal obesity and congenital heart disease (CHD).
- To investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms linking maternal obesity to CHD pathophysiology.
- To review current literature on risk factors and potential interventions.
Main Methods:
- A narrative review of studies was conducted.
- Searches were performed on the PubMed database.
- Additional relevant articles were identified through citation tracking.
Main Results:
- Maternal obesity is associated with a 17-32% increased risk of CHD in offspring.
- Each 5 kg/m2 increase in maternal Body Mass Index (BMI) correlates with a 7% rise in CHD risk.
- Mechanisms include placental dysfunction, inflammation, oxidative stress, and reduced adiponectin levels, impairing fetal cardiogenesis.
Conclusions:
- Maternal obesity significantly elevates the risk of congenital heart defects in newborns.
- Obesity-induced placental dysfunction and systemic inflammation disrupt critical fetal cardiac development pathways.
- Further research is needed on preconceptional and gestational management strategies to mitigate CHD risk associated with maternal obesity.
Keywords:
Congenital heart defectsadiponectindiagnosisfetal cardiac developmentinflammationmaternal obesityoxidative stressplacental dysfunctionprevention.More Related Videos
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