Progress on association of obesity with common congenital heart diseases and its underlying mechanisms / 中华围产医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Maternal obesity is associated with an increased risk of a range of congenital malformations in offspring, including neurological malformations, congenital heart disease, congenital kidney and urinary system abnormalities, cleft lip and palate, anorectal atresia, etc. This may be related to existing metabolic abnormalities, including increased insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, and oxidative stress caused by excessive accumulation of fat, as well as the relative deficiency of nutrients such as folic acid in obese pregnant women. Therefore, it is recommended that obese women have a planned pregnancy, address folate and micronutrient supplementation and optimize their health status prior to conception.