Overweight Mothers More Likely to Have Obese Offspring

Overweight mothers are more prone to giving birth to obese babies with a new research finding that the fat buildup in the stomach region of the unborn babies is similar to that of an adult well into his 50s. The study was led by Professor Neena Modi and was conducted at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in West London. The researchers conducted MRI scans on 105 would-be mothers to look into the link between obesity in mothers and the babies.

Around 51 of the 105 babies were girls and the researchers found a total of 31 babies who displayed a higher than normal collection of adipose or fat tissue in the abdomen. Professor Modi said that the study was important in understanding how a mother’s metabolism affected the baby.

“This shows how sensitive the baby is to the environment experienced within the womb and how lifelong effects may be initiated before birth”, she said.


Source-Medindia