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COVID-19 during pregnancy may increase obesity risk in children

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Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Children born to mothers who had COVID-19 during pregnancy may be more likely to develop obesity, according to a new study published online ahead of print in theJournal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. It is titled, "Accelerated Longitudinal Weight Gain Among Infants with In Utero COVID-19 Exposure."

More than 100 millionCOVID-19 caseshave been reported in the United States since 2019, and there ison the long-term health effects of the infection. Pregnant women make up 9% of reproductive-aged women with COVID-19, and millions of babies will be exposed to maternal infection duringover the next five years.

"Our findings suggest that children exposed in utero to maternal COVID-19 have an altered growth pattern inthat may increase their risk of obesity, diabetes andover time," said Lindsay T. Fourman, M.D., of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Mass. "There is still a lot of research needed to understand the effects of COVID-19 onand their children."

The researchers studied ~150 infants born to mothers who had COVID-19 during pregnancy and found they had lower birth weight followed by greater weight gain in the first year of life as compared to ~130 babies whose mothers did not have prenatal infection. These changes have been associated with an increased risk for obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease in childhood and beyond.

"Our findings emphasize the importance of long-term follow-up of children exposed in utero to maternal COVID-19 infection, as well as widespread implementation of COVID-19 prevention strategies among pregnant individuals," said Andrea G. Edlow, M.D., of Massachusetts General Hospital. "Larger studies with longer follow-up duration are needed to confirm these associations."

More information:Accelerated Longitudinal Weight Gain Among Infants with In Utero COVID-19 Exposure,Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism(2023).

Citation: COVID-19 during pregnancy may increase obesity risk in children (2023, March 29) retrieved 29 April 2023 from //www.pyrotek-europe.com/news/2023-03-covid-pregnancy-obesity-children.html
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