Study Calls Boys Born To Obesity Mothers Most Likely To Experience Health Problems

Illustration (Jonathan Borba/Pexels)

JAKARTA - A study led by researchers from the University of South Australia (UNISA) found that men born from obese mothers tend to be overweight at birth and suffer from future metabolic problems, such as liver disease or diabetes.

One of the causes is the way male sex hormones activate pathways in developing hearts. Written on the Hindustan Times page, Tuesday (6/2), the male fetus of a obese pregnant woman has a different signal activated by the male sex hormone (androgen) in the liver, thus encouraging them to prioritize growth over their health.

UniSA researcher Dr Ashley Meakin said androgen provides male masculine characteristics and is very important in its development. However, if the number is too large, the male fetus will grow too large, so that it not only causes problems at birth, but also has an impact on liver function as an adult.

"Men are more susceptible to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and diabetes as adults if their mother is obese during pregnancy and born weight is above 4 kg (9 lb 15 oz). They are genetically programmed to prioritize androgen because they support the development of male characteristics, including size, but too many androgens are bad," said Meakin.

Meanwhile, in women's fetuses exposed to excess testosterone due to obesity, it is regulated to turn off the androgen pathway in the liver, thereby limiting their growth and reducing the risk of metabolic disorders in adults.

Lead author of the study, Professor Janna Morrison, Head of the Early Adult Health Research Group at the Union, said that if people do not change their approach to nutrition, then efforts to reduce obesity and related health problems, from pregnancy to adulthood, will be a tough struggle. Women who get the right nutrition during pregnancy are a good balance to ensure optimal conditions for their fetal development.

"As a society, we need to immediately overcome obesity. If children are taught from an early age about the importance of eating health, this will continue to adulthood, including during pregnancy, where proper nutrition is very important," Morrison said.

Dr Meakin also said that in the next period, supplements that overcome nutritional imbalance in pregnancy can provide the best opportunity for the fetus to develop optimally.