Maternal obesity linked to neuropsychiatric issues in offspring - study
The data itself, was compiled throughout the course of 242,342 deliveries completed between 1991 and 2014 - 3,290 of those cases involved obese mothers.
By ZACHARY KEYSERBen-Gurion University of the Negev.(photo credit: ISRAEL'S FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTRY)
Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Soroka University Medical Center have correlated maternal obesity with the onset of neuropsychiatric issues in children, by means of a long term pediatric study.The study differentiated delivery outcomes of both obese and non-obese mothers. Considering the fact that during pregnancy women are more susceptible to being challenged by obesity, researchers worked to determine whether women struggling with their weight while with child can cause adverse maternal, fetal or offspring outcomes - and what those outcomes are exactly.Ben-Gurion University of the Negev said in a statement. "Over the long term, obesity during pregnancy -- which has been studied extensively by BGU researchers -- has already been found to be associated with future cardiovascular morbidity, ophthalmic complications, especially diabetic retinopathy and even malignancies such as ovarian and breast cancer in the offspring."The data itself, was compiled throughout the course of 242,342 deliveries completed between 1991 and 2014 - 3,290 of those cases involved obese mothers.“We found that compared to children born to non-obese mothers, this group had a higher rate of neuropsychiatric-related hospitalizations, with specific illnesses being more prevalent, including Autism Spectrum Disorders and other psychiatric issues,” says Dr. Eyal Sheiner, director of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Soroka and vice dean for student affairs at BGU's Faculty of Health Sciences (FOHS).“It is therefore of great importance to consult, educate and take other measures of intervention to reduce pre-pregnancy obesity.”
