Impact of maternal obesity on offspring long-term health

The prevalence of obesity among pregnant women is increasing, that include pre-pregnancy obesity and/or over gestational weight gain diagnosed by different criteria in different countries.Emerging evidence suggests that maternal obesity before and during pregnancy have not only short-term effects on both of mother and offspring, but also long-term adverse influences on offspring health.Evidence from both animal and human studies indicates that maternal obesity increases the weight and adiposity, alters body composition and increases the risk of metabolic disorders.These changes further result in the increased risk of metabolic syndrome of offspring in their later life.Further studies are required to elucidate the programming mechanisms of disease risk in the offspring as a consequence of maternal obesity.Strategies to prevent and reduce the impact of maternal obesity on long-term health of offsprings are required. Key words: Maternal obesity; Pre-pregnancy obesity; Over gestational weight gain; Offspring; Long-term health