The Lancet: Fat metabolism and fetal abdominal growth in early pregnancy influence child weight and obesity at age 2

New research shows how a mother's fat metabolism and fetal abdominal growth during early pregnancy can affect a child's weight and obesity at age 2

• Conducted in six countries, the study followed 3,500 babies and their mothers from early pregnancy through childhood

• Fetal abdominal development is affected by maternal lipid metabolites in early pregnancy

• Both fetal abdominal growth and maternal lipid metabolites in early pregnancy affect child weight and body fat at 2 years of age

• The discovery may aid in early detection of the risk of infant overweight and obesity -- one of the most pressing global public health concerns

A new study by researchers at the University of Oxford, UK, in collaboration with the University of California, Berkeley, published today in the journal The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, found that fetal abdominal growth patterns as early as 5 months of pregnancy Associated with maternal fat metabolites that track neonatal growth, obesity and child development

Using a series of fetal ultrasound scans during pregnancy in six countries (Brazil, Kenya, Pakistan, South Africa, Thailand and the UK), the researchers monitored the growth of more than 3,500 babies in the womb and analysed women from early pregnancy.

José Villar, Professor of Perinatal Medicine at the University of Oxford and co-leader of the study, said: "This is the first comprehensive cross-geographic evidence of complex interactions between maternal and fetal metabolism in pregnancy Early, distinct fetal trajectories are associated with childhood weight, obesity and development

"This study is unique for a number of reasons," said Aris Papezoggio, professor of fetal medicine at the University of Oxford, who led the study

"A lot has been said about the importance of the first 1,000 days of life in determining future health outcomes

Stephen Kennedy, Professor of Reproductive Medicine at the University of Oxford, who co-led the study, said: "This landmark study provides valuable new insights into the biological origins of childhood obesity, a challenge facing governments around the world.

The paper complements research published by these groups in 2021, which identified fetal head growth trajectories that were associated with different developmental, behavioral, visual and growth outcomes at age 2 years