Surgical Weight Loss in Mothers Improves Cardio-Metabolic Markers in Children

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Sep 14 - Weight loss after bariatric surgery in mothers is associated with improvements in cardio-metabolic markers in their children that are sustained into adolescence, according to a paper in the September 1st issue of The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

"Reducing the exposure of fetuses to an obesigenic in utero environment" brings about "a dramatic decrease" in severe obesity and metabolic disturbances in these children, the authors report.

Dr. Picard Marceau from Laval University, Quebec, Canada, and colleagues studied 49 mothers who had sustained weight loss after bariatric procedures and in their 111 offspring aged 2.5 to 26 years. After bariatric surgery, the mothers had significantly lower body weight, body-mass index, glucose, and lipids, the authors report. Bariatric weight loss was also associated with a reduction in the number of pregnancy complications and pregnancy-related hospitalizations.

More than a third of children born before bariatric surgery (35.2%) were severely obese, versus only 10.5% of children born after parental bariatric surgery. Cholesterol levels, and markers of diabetes were decreased in children born after parental bariatric surgery.

"Because obese children often go on to become obese adults ... these data emphasize how critical it is to prevent obesity and treat it effectively in order to prevent further transmission to future generations," the authors emphasize.

"Severely obese women should be encouraged to lose weight before becoming pregnant," they add. "During pregnancy they should be encouraged to modify their eating behavior."

J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2009.

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