Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 6, 2026

Author Spotlight: Collecting the Brain and Serum from the Same Mice Fetus to Study Brain Tumor Development
Published on: May 17, 2024
Maternal Overnutrition in Pregnancy Predicts Greater Body Mass Index Gains in Offspring by Early Midlife: A
Szimonetta Eitmann1,2, Péter Mátrai1,3, Péter Hegyi1,4,5
1Institute for Translational Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
Abstract:
Maternal overnutrition during pregnancy predisposes children to increased adiposity later in life. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined how this association persists into adulthood and whether it differs by sex. MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, and CENTRAL were searched for human studies published in English before May 2025. From 9191 screened records, 29 studies (430,764 mother-offspring pairs) provided quantitative data on the link between maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (ppBMI) or gestational weight gain (GWG) and adiposity in adult offspring. The meta-analysis found significant positive associations between maternal ppBMI and offspring BMI, body fat percentage, or waist circumference. Each 1 kg/m2 increase in maternal ppBMI was linked to a 0.4 kg/m2 higher BMI and 0.35% more body fat in offspring. Maternal overweight/obesity predicted significantly higher offspring BMI or waist circumference, especially in females. Excessive GWG increased the odds of overweight/obesity in the offspring by 35% compared with adequate GWG. This correlation was stronger in early midlife (mean age 30-45) than in young adults. In early midlife offspring, each additional kilogram of GWG was linked to a 0.14 kg/m2 higher BMI, independent of ppBMI. These findings underscore the importance of nutritional interventions before and during pregnancy to reduce obesity risk in adulthood.
More Related Videos
03:35Determining Gender-Based Differences in Retinal and Choroidal Thickness in Underweight Individuals via Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography
Published on: December 1, 2023
14:40Instrumentation of Near-term Fetal Sheep for Multivariate Chronic Non-anesthetized Recordings
Published on: October 25, 2015
Related Concept Videos
Obesity
Parentral Nutrition: Centeral and Peripheral Parental Nutrition
PN can be administered through two primary routes:
1. Central Parenteral Nutrition (CPN):
CPN involves delivering a high concentration of nutrients through a large vein. This is typically achieved using a Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC) or,...
Regression Toward the Mean
Pathophysiology of 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,...
Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational
Drug Dosing: Obese Patients