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Maternal obesity may put infants at risk for impaired development
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Pediatric Academic Societies’ Annual Meeting 2011
Babies born to obese mothers are at risk for iron deficiency, which could affect infant brain development and growth, according to results of a new study.
Researchers studied 281 mother/newborn pairs. The women’s BMI was calculated before delivery; a score of 30 or greater was defined as obese. Researchers also determined infants’ iron level by analyzing umbilical cord blood.
Results showed evidence of impaired iron status in newborns of women who were obese.
“These findings are important because iron deficiency in infancy is associated with impaired brain development, and we should understand all risk factors for iron deficiency in infancy,” Pamela J. Kling, MD, principal investigator and associate professor of pediatrics/neonatology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said in a press release.
Further study will continue to investigate why obesity during pregnancy is a risk factor for poorer iron status at birth, Kling said.
“In nonpregnant adults, obesity has been linked to poorer dietary iron absorption and to diabetes, so both factors may contribute,” she said. “Additionally, the link may be due to larger fetuses because obesity during pregnancy results in larger fetuses, and iron needs are proportional to fetal size.”
The data also have important implications because the prevalence of obesity in women of child-bearing age is increasing.
For more information:
- Phillips A. Poster 1380.8. Platform session: Neonatal fetal nutrition & metabolism I. Presented at: Pediatric Academic Societies 2011; April 30-May 3, 2011; Denver.
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