Children born to mothers who are very obese with a BMI of 35 or higher are at heightened risk of being admitted to hospital for an infection, finds a long term study published in the open access journal BMJ Medicine.
The findings highlight the importance of maintaining a healthy body weight before and after the pregnancy, say the researchers.
On current trends, the global prevalence of maternal obesity is projected to reach nearly 1 in 4 (23%) by 2030, point out the researchers. This is of particular concern, given that obesity is characterized by a state of chronic inflammation, which increases the risk of a disordered immune system response, changes in gene expression, and unfavourble changes to the gut microbiome alterations, all of which can influence the long term health of the developing fetus,…