title: Maternal obesity and prenatal programming.
abstract: Obesity is a significant and increasing public health concern in the United States and worldwide. Clinical and epidemiological evidence clearly shows that genetic and environmental factors contribute to the increased susceptibility of humans to obesity and its associated comorbidities; the interplay of these factors is explained by the concept of epigenetics. The impact of maternal obesity goes beyond the newborn period; fetal programming during the critical window of pregnancy, can have long term detrimental effects on the offspring as well as future generations. Emerging evidence is uncovering a link between the clinical and molecular findings in the offspring with epigenetic changes in the setting of maternal obesity. Research targeted towards reducing the transgenerational propagation and developmental programming of obesity is vital in reducing the increasing rates of disease.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3516 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Summer
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Elshenawy
authors.affiliation: Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania, 421 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Electronic address: rsimmons@mail.med.upenn.edu.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Simmons
mesh_terms: D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D009765:Obesity / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000235:genetics*
keywords: Developmental programming; Epigenetics; Fetal origins of adult disease; Maternal obesity; Obesity in pregnancy