Obese mothers put their kids at risk of obesity

Obese mothers put their kids at risk of obesity
Children born to obese mothers are likely to be at an increased risk of obesity as a result of their umbilical cells showing impaired expression of genes regulating cell energy and metabolism, a study has found.

The team discovered that in these cells, increased obesity in the mothers correlated with lower expression of genes regulating mitochondria (which act as the cell’s powerhouses) and of other genes regulating the production and metabolism of lipids. ‘This suggests that already at birth there are detectable metabolic perturbations resulting from maternal obesity. Changes in these cells were similar to some known to occur in obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes,’ said Elvira Isganaitis, Researcher at the Harvard Medical School. When the researchers followed up by analysing fetal blood from the umbilical cord vein, it was found that the infants of obese mothers had significantly higher levels of many lipids that are known to be metabolically deleterious, like saturated fatty acids. Fat tissues in the obese mothers may shed fatty acids that make their way into the fetal blood and create a kind of fuel overload for the embryo. (Read: 6 ways you can help your kid fight childhood obesity)

Source: IANS

Photo source: Shutterstock (Image for representational purpose only)

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