Author Interviews, Brigham & Women's - Harvard, JAMA, OBGYNE, Pediatrics, Weight Research / 28.08.2021
Prenatal Weight Influences Offspring Cognition and Behavior
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Emily Oken MD MPH
Professor, Harvard Medical School
Professor in the Department of Population Medicine
Associate Director and Advisor, Oliver Wendell Holmes Society.
Professor, Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: In this study of over 11,000 mothers and children, we found that a mothers with higher weight in late pregnancy had children with poorer performance on tests of cognition and behavior in childhood and adolescence.
The findings are consistent with results from studies in other populations around the world, as well as animal experiments. This research suggests that maternal nutrition is important for child health over the long-term, and specifically provides support for mothers to try to achieve healthy weight and nutritional status during pregnancy. (more…)