Sons of obese moms more prone to diabetes and liver issues as adults

By Sharin Hussain via SWNS

Boys born to fat moms are more likely to suffer from diabetes and liver problems as adults, according to new research.

Men who weighed more than 9 lb 15 oz (4kg) at birth had a higher risk of suffering metabolic conditions as an adult.

Researchers from the University of South Australia discovered that male fetuses of obese pregnant women have different signals that are activated by male sex hormones in the liver.

This encourages them to prioritize growth at the expense of their health.

UniSA researcher Dr. Ashley Meakin said: “Androgens give men their male characteristics and are crucial in their development but if there are too many, male fetuses grow too large, causing not only problems at birth, but impacting liver function as an adult.”

The study, published in the journal Life Sciences, gathered tissue samples of obese pregnant baboons housed at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute in the United States.

Female fetuses exposed to excess testosterone from an obese pregnancy are wired to switch off the androgen pathway in the liver, restricting their growth and lowering the risk of metabolic disorders in adulthood.

Study lead author Professor Janna Morrison, Head of the Early Origins of Adult Health Research Group at UniSA added: “It’s a fine balance for women getting the right nutrition in pregnancy to ensure optimal conditions for their unborn child to flourish.

“There are also risks for offspring being malnourished during pregnancy.

“If you are too little, too big, born too early, or a male, you are more vulnerable to negative outcomes later in life.

"You need the Goldilocks pregnancy. You must be the right size, born at the right time.”

The best chance of prevention is in the intervening period where supplements can help address the nutritional imbalance during pregnancy.

Prof Morrison added: “As a society, we urgently need to address obesity.

"If children were taught early on about the importance of healthy eating, it would carry through into adulthood, including during pregnancy, where the right nutrition is so important.”

This study is part of a series investigating the impact of maternal under and overnutrition on the placenta, heart, lung, and liver by Prof Morrison and team.