Maternal Obesity Affects Fetal Brain Development
Obesity during pregnancy could impact the development of infants’ brains, according to the results of a recent study. The study is believed to be the first to examine the connection between maternal obesity and changes to the fetal brain in the womb, rather than after birth.
Previous research has suggested that maternal obesity, defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or greater, is associated with increased risk of various cognitive and mental health issues in offspring.
The researchers conducted a study investigating the effects of maternal BMI on communication between various regions of the brain in 109 fetuses between the ages of 26 and 39 weeks. Maternal BMI ranged from 25 kg/m2 to 47 kg/m2, and all of the women were 6 to 9 months pregnant.
Overall, they identified two regions of the brain that were impacted by maternal BMI: left anterior insula/inferior frontal gyrus and bilateral prefrontal cortex. Specifically, they observed “both increased and decreased between‐network connectivity with a tendency for increased within‐hemisphere connectivity and reduced cross‐hemisphere connectivity in higher BMI pregnancies.”
“Our findings affirm that a mother's obesity may play a role in fetal brain development, which might explain some of the cognitive and metabolic health concerns seen in children born to mothers with higher BMI,” they said in an accompanying press release.
—Michael Potts
References:
- Norr ME, Hect JL, Lenniger CJ, et al. An examination of maternal prenatal BMI and human fetal brain development. Published online August 10, 2020. JCPP. doi: 10.1111/jcpp.13301
- Excess weight among pregnant women may interfere with child's developing brain. News release. New York, NY: NYU Grossman School of Medicine; August 11, 2020. https://nyulangone.org/news/excess-weight-among-pregnant-women-may-interfere-childs-developing-brain