Pregnancy Complications and the Risk of Metabolic Syndrome for the Offspring

Abstract

Metabolic syndrome is a growing problem globally, and is a contributor to non-communicable diseases such as type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The risk of developing specific components of the metabolic syndrome such as obesity, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and elevated fasting blood sugar has been largely attributed to environmental stressors including poor nutrition, lack of exercise, and smoking. However, large epidemiologic cohorts and experimental animal models support the “developmental origins of adult disease” hypothesis, which posits that a significant portion of the risk for adult metabolic conditions is determined by exposures occurring in the perinatal period. Maternal obesity and the rate of complications during pregnancy such as preterm birth, preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes continue to rise. As our ability to reduce perinatal morbidity and mortality improves the long-term metabolic consequences remain uncertain, pointing to the need for further research in this area.

Gestational intermittent hypoxia induces endothelial dysfunction, reduces perivascular adiponectin and causes epigenetic changes in adult male offspring

“…) and maternal nutrition (Lakshmy, ) affect birth weight and metabolic profile of the offspring, and can predispose the offspring to metabolic and cardiovascular diseases (Ryckman et al . ).…”

Increasing Maternal Body Mass Index and the Accuracy of Sonographic Estimation of Fetal Weight Near Delivery

“…The increased incidence of overweight and obesity complicating pregnancy has immediate and far‐reaching effects on the health of the mother and fetus, with increased risks of diabetes, preeclampsia, preterm delivery, thromboembolic disease, macrosomia, and stillbirth being well documented 4 – 15 . Advances in our understanding of the fetal origins of disease have demonstrated associations between maternal obesity and childhood diseases such as obesity and metabolic syndrome 16 – 18 . Maternal obesity has also been found to be associated with abnormal labor 19 – 24 and fetal macrosomia 7 , 25 , 26 .…”

Possible relationship between common genetic variation and white matter development in a pilot study of preterm infants

“…Preterm birth is associated with an increased cardiometabolic disease risk in adulthood (Ryckman et al. ; Bayman et al. ; Kajantie and Hovi ), and PPAR‐gamma agonists (thiazolidinediones) are widely used in the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and insulin resistance.…”

“…They are involved in cell membrane structure, signaling, inflammation and biotransformation (Rosen and Spiegelman 2001), neuronal and glial differentiation and axon polarity, and neuroprotection (Gray et al 2011;Minghetti et al 2014;Quintanilla et al 2014). Preterm birth is associated with an increased cardiometabolic disease risk in adulthood (Ryckman et al 2013;Bayman et al 2014;Kajantie and Hovi 2014), and PPAR-gamma agonists (thiazolidinediones) are widely used in the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and insulin resistance. T2DM features here among the top 30 pathways adjusted for GA and PMA, and four of the five PPAR pathway genes highlighted by GGGL are linked to T2DM.…”