International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

New research with implications for maternal and newborn health has shown that infants born to mothers who have a higher pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) have livers that contain more fat and are fatter themselves.

According to a study by researchers from Imperial College London in England, a mother's BMI can affect a child while they are still in the womb and may leave infants facing metabolic health problems throughout their lives.

Of the babies born at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, 105 were assessed with magnetic resonance scanning while they slept, for the research, which can be found in the Pediatric Research journal.

This was so that the quantity of fat in their liver cells and bodies, as well as its distribution could be determined.

"...The prevention of obesity needs to begin in the womb," leader of the study, professor Neena Modi, from the Department of Medicine at Imperial College London and a consultant neonatologist at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, said.

In June, research conducted at McMaster University in Canada and published in the journal Obesity Reviews showed that mums who overeat while they are pregnant risk their children having lower IQs.

Posted by David Smith