CHALLENGES AND HAZARDS OF PREGNANCY, DELIVERY AND OFFSPRING HEALTH IN WOMEN WITH OBESITY

Abstract

In recent decades, there has been a global surge in obesity rates, reaching epidemic proportions. Consequently, the incidence of obesity during pregnancy has experienced a significant rise. Maternal overweight and obesity during gestation have been linked to adverse outcomes for both the mother and the child. Moreover, research indicates that maternal obesity can have enduring effects on the offspring, elevating their susceptibility to obesity and cardiometabolic conditions later in life. During late pregnancy, inflammation appears to undergo alterations in cases of maternal obesity, characterized by heightened activation of macrophages and upregulated expression of cytokine genes in the placenta. Additionally, certain cytokines demonstrate increased levels in the fetal bloodstream in obese pregnancies compared to those of normal weight. Notably, these changes in macrophage activation and cytokine gene expression were particularly prominent and statistically significant in placentas associated with male embryos. These findings offer valuable insights into placental modifications occurring in the context of obesity and suggest potential connections between placental inflammation and the programming of diseases in the offspring of obese mothers.