Maternal Nutrition, Prenatal Development and Offspring Health

It is clinically proven that impaired early development increases the risk of common non-communicable disorders such as obesity, poor bone development, heart disease, respiratory disorders and mental ill-health. In high income countries, and increasingly in middle and low income countries, maternal obesity is known to be a major driver of these problems for offspring in later life. Keith Godfrey believes we are looking at an impending public health disaster: we need to engage with the consequences of maternal obesity and act now to identify interventions to mitigate the problems.

This presentation looks at recent research that point to environmental and nutritional evidence that even small increased levels of glucose in pregnancy can lead to greater size and adiposity at birth and greater adiposity throughout the offspring’s life. The World Bank and World Health Organization are taking the issue seriously, noting that intervention in the first 1000 days of life will have major consequences for societies and economies. Much study is needed, and several new randomized control trials that are currently underway on three continents are discussed.