The Rate Of Obesity And Diabetes - 2465 Words

Introduction The rates of obesity and diabetes in mothers are quickly increasing across America. As it stands, roughly 40 percent of all women are obese, with over half of women in childbearing age being overweight, according to an article published in ScienceNews (Beil 2016). Diabetes is following a similar trend, as obesity is known to relate to its onset (Krakowiak et al 2012). Unfortunately, both conditions negatively impact the development of offspring during pregnancy (Krakowiak et. al 2012). In fact, they have been linked to disorders affecting the development of the fetal brain including autism spectrum disorder, among others. Today, obesity can be defined as having a body mass index over 30 kg/m2 (Mehta et al 2014). This†¦show more content†¦This exposure to high levels of glucose can lead to high levels of fetal insulin production, both of which are a danger to the baby brain (Davis Health 2012). Additionally, these levels may lead to a lack of oxygen to the fetus, known as fetal hypoxia (Krakowiak et al 2012). This is known to affect brain structure, particularly the hippocampus and neural myelination (Krakowiak et al 2012). Women who have difficulties regulating their glucose levels prior to becoming pregnant often develop gestational diabetes mellitus, which only appears during pregnancy (Krakowiak et al 2012). More than 85 percent of maternal diabetes cases pertain to gestational diabetes mellitus, or GDM (Xu et al 2014). Though gestational diabetes is the most common form of diabetes during/ pregnancy, preexisting type 1 and type 2 diabetes still appear, together only accounting for 12.5 p ercent of maternal diabetes cases, and can also affect the growing fetus (Xu et al 2014). Aside from the inflammation associated with obesity and diabetes in relation to autism, other factors specifically pertaining to obesity may play a role in the onset of the developmental disorder. For example, folate is an important vitamin for normal growth; earlier studies propose that a deficiency in this vitamin could be linked to neurological disorders in offspring (Johns Hopkins 2016). Iron is another example, with deficiency being a result of maternal obesity