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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
PubMed

Insights

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.

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