Maternal obesity linked to increased risk of cancer in unborn children

New research from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) have highlighted potential consequences of maternal obesity in relation to predisposing unborn children to liver diseases and potentially liver cancer.

As established by previous research, increasing levels of obesity in many developed nations already poses a significant threat to individual’s health, however recent research published in JHEP Reports aims to explore the extent to which maternal obesity influences the development of diseases in offspring.

According to the researchers, despite the declining prevalence of liver cancer attributed to viral infections, obesity-related liver diseases are increasing, requiring further research into their origins and implications.

Christian Toso, UNIGE Faculty of Medicine said: “While the risk of liver cancer due to a hepatic virus is decreasing, obesity-related liver diseases are constantly on the rise.”

Based on two groups of female mice fed differently to replicate obesity and normal weight, researchers found significant differences in the liver health of offspring born to obese mothers.

Key to the findings is the effect of microbiota, the diverse community of microorganisms living in the gut, which showed a central role in transmitting the risk of disease from mother to child.

While this study provides important insights into the interplay between maternal obesity, microbiota, and liver health, further investigation is needed to assess the applicability to humans.