obesity and pregnancy

The developmental origins of health and disease concept highlights the impact of early environments on chronic non-communicable diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Studies using animal models have investigated how maternal factors such as undernutrition, overnutrition, obesity, and exposure to chemicals or hypoxia affect fetal development and offspring health, leading to issues like low birth weight, high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance. Given the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity among reproductive-age women, effective interventions are critical...

OBJECTIVE: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) affects maternal and neonatal health during pregnancy. This study aimed to identify characteristics and comorbidities associated with sleep clinic referral in high-risk pregnancies with Body Mass Index (BMI) ≥35 kg/m2 . METHOD: Retrospective cohort study for individuals in a high-risk pregnancy clinic at a tertiary Australian hospital from 1 January to 31 December 2020 with BMI≥35 kg/m2 . The primary outcome measure was sleep clinic referral...

PURPOSE: This study aimed to explore the association between N-6 adenine-specific DNA methyltransferase 1 ( N6AMT1 ) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and the modification of the relationship by folate and vitamin B12 . METHODS: A cross-sectional study involving 1303 pregnant women (262 GDM and 1041 non-GDM) was performed in Tianjin, China. Nine SNPs in N6AMT1 were genotyped, and serum folate, vitamin B12 , and homocysteine (Hcy) levels were measured...

OBJECTIVE: Maternal obesity affects 39.7% of reproductive-age women in the United States. Emerging research has suggested that in utero exposure to maternal obesity is associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes, but knowledge of underlying mechanisms in human samples is lacking. METHODS: A matched case-control study was performed in women with singleton fetuses who were undergoing elective pregnancy termination at gestational ages 15 to 21 weeks...

Exercise and weight management is crucial in preventing postpartum depression and long-term obesity that carries the risk of chronic illness among postpartum women. Although communication devices, such as a smart wrist-worn wearable (SWW), can help users be more physically active, the extent to which postpartum women might benefit from this technology is unknown. We examined how SWWs promoted exercise and helped postpartum women return to pre-pregnancy weight. We tested a model based on the premise that a motivational device that prompts users to engage with it can establish healthy daily routines...

Female infertility disproportionately affects people with obesity. Exercise often improves fertility outcomes for this population, however, there is limited prescriptive evidence. Specifically, there is a lack of information on the ideal type, frequency, intensity, and setting of exercise to improve fertility outcomes. Using principles of exercise prescription, this review aimed to describe the scope of exercise interventions that have been explored and fertility outcomes measured for people with female infertility and obesity...

BACKGROUND: Exposure to toxins during pregnancy is the main modifiable behavior that affects the placenta and, consequently, the fetus. In particular, smoking is a recognized risk factor for negative outcomes. Our study pretended to examine gross and microscopic placental features in women who reported exposure to tobacco, alcohol, or other psychoactive substances. METHODS: In this observational case-control study, we collected 706 placentas to assess precise substance exposure histological-interaction features of in the placenta...

SCOPE: Obesity and metabolic diseases are closely associated, and individuals who become obese are also prone to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disorders. Gut microbiota is mediated by diet and can influence host metabolism and the incidence of metabolic disorders. Recent studies have suggested that improving gut microbiota through a fructooligosaccharide (FOS)-supplemented diet may ameliorate obesity and other metabolic disorders. Although accumulating evidence supports the notion of the developmental origins of health and disease, the underlying mechanisms remain obscure...

STUDY QUESTION: Does BMI of gestational carriers (GCs) affect perinatal outcomes after embryo transfer? SUMMARY ANSWER: Overweight and class I obesity in GCs does not affect the rate of good perinatal outcomes. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: The use of GCs is increasing, but uniform guidance regarding optimal BMI for GCs is lacking. Women with obesity who conceive without fertility treatment or through autologous or donor in vitro fertilization are at higher risk of adverse maternal and fetal outcomes, but data on obesity in GCs are very limited...

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Both maternal metabolic dysregulation, e.g., gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), and maternal supply of nutrients that participate in one-carbon (1C) metabolism, e.g., folate, choline, betaine, and vitamin B12 , have been demonstrated to influence epigenetic modification such as DNA methylation, thereby exerting long-lasting impacts on growth and development of offspring. This study aimed to determine how maternal 1C nutrient intake was associated with DNA methylation and further, development of children, as well as whether maternal GDM status modified the association in a prospective cohort...

Prenatal vitamin D deficiency is widely reported and may affect perinatal outcomes. In this secondary analysis of the UK Pregnancies Better Eating and Activity Trial (UPBEAT), we examined vitamin D status and its relationship with selected pregnancy outcomes in women with obesity (BMI≥30kg/m2 ) from multi-ethnic inner-city settings in the UK. Determinants of vitamin D status at a mean of 17±1 weeks' gestation were assessed using multivariable linear regression and reported as percent differences in serum hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D)...

IMPORTANCE: Over 30% of pregnant people have at least one chronic medical condition, and nearly 20% develop gestational diabetes or pregnancy-related hypertension, increasing the risk of future chronic disease. While these individuals are often monitored closely during pregnancy, they face significant barriers when transitioning to primary care following delivery, due in part to a lack of health care support for this transition. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of an intervention designed to improve postpartum primary care engagement by reducing patient administrative burden and information gaps...

OBJECTIVE: Given the increased risk of fetal acidosis in singleton neonates born to pregnant people with an elevated body mass index (BMI), our objective was to evaluate the association between pre-pregnancy/first trimester BMI and fetal acidosis among term twin pregnancies. METHODS: Retrospective study of pregnant people with twin gestation and their term infants admitted to our centre between 2014 and 2019. Using a generalized estimating equation, the association between maternal BMI and fetal acidosis was determined using odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI)...

INTRODUCTION: Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) and preeclampsia (PE) are associated with disturbed maternal inflammatory response, oxidative stress and vascular endothelial cell dysfunction. Obesity is one of risk factors of PE. Leptin is elevated in obesity and its level correlates positively with the amount of adipose tissue. In contrast, adiponectin levels are decreased in obesity. Sirtuins are expressed in the placenta, however their role in pregnancy-related pathology in humans is not known...

OBJECTIVES: Sickle cell disease (SCD) occurs in 2.8 % of our Jamaican antenatal population with homozygous HbSS being most associated with adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective comparative analysis of HbSS, HbSC and HbSβThal pregnancy outcomes at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) between January 2012 and December 2022 was conducted. RESULTS: Of 120 patients (138 pregnancies), obesity occurred in 36 % (20/56) of the 'non-HbSS' group, i...

OBJECTIVES: To assess and quantify the association between pre-pregnancy maternal overweight and obesity, and the risk of congenital heart defects (CHDs) in offspring. METHODS: This systematic review and meta-analysis included searches of PubMed, Medline, Web of science, and Scopus up to April 20th, 2023. Risk estimates were abstracted or calculated for rising body mass index categories (overweight, obesity, moderate and severe obesity) compared to normal weight (reference)...

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of gestational weight gain on pregnancy outcomes and determine the optimal range of weight gain during pregnancy for Chinese women with type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included 691 Chinese women with type 2 diabetes mellitus from 2012 to 2020. The study utilized a statistical-based approach to determine the optimal range of gestational weight gain. Additionally, multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the impact of gestational weight gain on pregnancy outcomes...

Obesity impairs oocyte quality, fertility, pregnancy maintenance, and is associated with offspring birth defects. The model ovotoxicant, 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA), causes ovarian DNA damage and follicle loss. Both DMBA-induced chemical biotransformation and the DNA damage response are partially attenuated in obese relative to lean female mice but whether weight loss could improve the DNA damage response to DMBA exposure has not been explored. Thus, at six weeks of age, C57BL/6 J female mice were divided in three groups: 1) Lean (L; n = 20) fed a chow diet for 12 weeks, 2) obese (O; n = 20) fed a high fat high sugar (HFHS) diet for 12 weeks and, 3) slim-down (S; n = 20)...

OBJECTIVES: Numerous animal and epidemiologic studies have demonstrated a positive association between maternal obesity in pregnancy and obesity in offspring. The biologic mechanisms of this association remain under investigation. One proposed mechanism includes fetoplacental endothelial dysfunction secondary to inflammation. Endocan is a relatively new biomarker for endothelial dysfunction and inflammation. Our objectives were to examine (1) the association between maternal obesity and neonatal serum endocan at birth, and (2) the association between neonatal serum endocan at birth and pediatric obesity at 24-36 months of age...

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in human patients disrupts glucose metabolism post-pregnancy, affecting fetal development. Although obesity and genetic factors increase GDM risk, a lack of suitable models impedes a comprehensive understanding of its pathology. To address this, we administered streptozotocin (STZ, 75 mg/kg) to C57BL/6N mice for two days before pregnancy, establishing a convenient GDM model. Pregnant mice exposed to STZ (STZ-pregnant) were compared with STZ-injected virgin mice (STZ-virgin), citrate buffer-injected virgin mice (CB-virgin), and pregnant mice injected with citrate buffer (CB-pregnant)...