Kids of overweight pregnant women obese: Study

Overweight women should avoid pregnancy until they lose weight as it leads to their children becoming obese, according to a new study.

The findings by researchers from medical centres in New York and Canada's Quebec city said an obese mother's womb may send a signal to their unborn baby that encourages them to grow into a fat child and adult.

The process is more than just passing along genes that promote obesity but the scientists said they are yet to track down a biological explanation for the signal, the Daily Mail reported.

Dr John Kral, who led the study, said his research suggests that obese women can help the coming generation by losing weight just before pregnancy.

Kral, along with researchers in Quebec, studied children of severely obese women who were born before or after their mother's weight-loss surgery.

In comparison to the kids born before surgery, those born afterwards were far less likely to be severely obese, the researchers found.

Besides, those born afterwards showed lower levels of blood fats and indicators of future diabetes.

The obesity in pregnancy raises the risk of complications like diabetes, caesarean deliveries and stillbirth, the experts pointed out.