News archive 2008

Obese mothers pass on trait to children

22 Jan 2008, PR 18/08

A new study has highlighted an increased risk of obesity for those born of pregnancies complicated by obesity.



This new research published in the journal Hypertension will feature on Case Notes tonight in an interview with Lucilla Poston, Professor of Maternal and Fetal Health and Director of the Reproduction and Endocrinology Division at King’s College London, and Dr Mark Porter presenter of the programme.

Professor Poston reports: ‘Approximately 20 per cent of pregnant women in the UK are obese and the numbers are increasing.’

While obesity is associated with increased risk of almost every common complication of pregnancy, obesity in the mother may play a direct role in the transmission of an obesogenic and diabetogenic trait from generation to generation. 

Increasing evidence suggests that children born of pregnancies complicated by either obesity or related gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are at increased risk of obesity, impaired glucose tolerance, and other facets of the metabolic syndrome

Transmission of Obesity

Co-author Dr Paul Taylor, Lecturer in Developmental Programming, Maternal and Fetal Research at King’s College London reports that: ‘The study in animal models suggests that environmental influences such as diet and the maternal hormonal levels in pregnancy can programme the developing baby towards increased food intake and risk of obesity from an early age, independently of genetic susceptibility. However, research in this area offers the potential for early life intervention strategies to stem the growing tide of obesity in children.’



Notes to editors

1. The research was joint funded by The British Heart Foundation, Project Earnest, and Tommy’s, the baby charity.

• The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is a major funder and authority in cardiovascular research. It plays an important role in funding education, both of the public and of health professionals, and in providing life-saving cardiac equipment and support for rehabilitation and patient care.
• Project EARNEST falls under the European Union sixth framework priority. The full title of the project is: Early Nutrition programming – long term follow up of efficacy and safety trials and integrated epidemiological, genetic, animal, consumer and economic research.
• Tommy’s, the baby charity was set up in 1992 and through a national programme of research aims to end the heartache caused by premature birth, stillbirth and miscarriage.  Tommy’s also provides a pregnancy information service for parents-to-be and health professionals, through a telephone pregnancy information line, email and web access to midwives.  Phone: 0870 777 30 60 Email: info@tommys.org or visit www.tommys.org

King's College London
King's College London is one of the top 25 universities in the world (Times Higher 2007) and the fourth oldest in England. A research-led university based in the heart of London, King's has 19,700 students from more than 140 countries, and 5,400 employees. King's has an outstanding reputation for providing world-class teaching and cutting-edge research. The College is in the top group of UK universities for research earnings and has an annual income of approximately £400 million. An investment of £500 million has been made in the redevelopment of its estate.

King's has a particularly distinguished reputation in the humanities, law, social sciences, the health sciences, natural sciences and engineering, and has played a major role in many of the advances that have shaped modern life, such as the discovery of the structure of DNA. It is the largest centre for the education of healthcare professionals in Europe and is home to five Medical Research Council Centres – more than any other university.



Further information
Kate Moore, Public Relations Department,
Email: kate.moore@kcl.ac.uk
Tel: 020 7848 4334

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