Maternal Obesity Linked to Higher Risk of Child Disorders
⚠️ Pregnancy-related topic: medication, diet, and testing decisions must be made with your obstetrician and neurology team.
⚠️ Infant dosing/safety: medication and diet decisions for infants require individualized medical guidance.
Source: International journal of obesity (2005)
Summary
This study looked at how a mother's weight before pregnancy affects the development of her child. Researchers used data from over 779,000 babies born in South Korea between 2014 and 2021. They focused on mothers' body mass index (BMI), which is a measure of weight in relation to height, and examined its link to various neurodevelopmental disorders, including epilepsy and intellectual disabilities.
The key findings showed that mothers who were classified as obese (with a BMI of 30 or higher) had a higher risk of having children with epilepsy and intellectual disabilities. Specifically, the risk of epilepsy increased by 13%, and the risk of intellectual disability increased by 37% compared to children of mothers with a normal weight. On the other hand, mothers who were underweight did not show a significant link to these disorders.
These findings are important because they highlight the potential impact of a mother's weight before pregnancy on her child's brain development. Understanding this connection can help inform public health efforts aimed at reducing the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in children. However, it is important to note that this study is observational, meaning it can show associations but not prove cause-and-effect relationships.
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