Pregnancy
Being Obese During Pregnancy Can Hinder Fetal Development
The New York Times reports:
…they pointed to previous research indicating that being overweight during pregnancy can throw a woman’s metabolic, hormonal and ovarian activity into turmoil, which in turn can disrupt the normal development of a fetus. A higher body mass index during pregnancy can also set off a spike in levels of leptin, a hormone that binds to receptors in the fetal lung and may be critical to lung development in the womb.
According to the Times, asthma has been on the consistent rise since the 1970s and while the quality of air isn’t really getting any better, our increase in obesity could also be a contributing factor. Doctors note that efforts to reduce obesity in pregnant women might also result in a dip in asthma development in teenagers, which is an interesting correlation to consider.