Heavy moms, wheezy kids: how maternal obesity harms breathing in offspring
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Offspring asthma has emerged as a significant yet underexplored consequence of maternal obesity. This review synthesizes evidence from human and animal studies linking maternal obesity to increased asthma risk in offspring. We examine potential mechanisms, including impaired fetal lung development, epigenetic modifications, microbiome alterations, and metabolic dysregulation. A dedicated section focuses on the novel role of insulin signaling in the developmental programming of airway hyperresponsiveness, as insulin resistance-and the resulting hyperinsulinemia-is common in offspring of obese mothers. By integrating current findings and identifying key research gaps, this review outlines future directions to advance understanding and mitigation of maternal obesity's impact on offspring respiratory health.
Institution: Oregon Health & Science University
Language: English
Subfield: Physiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Funder: National Institutes of Health
Awards: An optogenetic approach to airway research, Insulin Modulates Parasympathetic Nerve Control of Lungs, Prenatal control of offspring airway responsiveness, Shared Instrumentation Grant application for EchoMRI whole body composition analyzer, G9000150001, G9000231277, G9000236225, G9000275180, G9000284901, G9000317330, G9000345818, Program in Biomedical Sciences, Insulin increases nerve-mediated bronchoconstriction in obesity-related asthma, Mechanisms of airway hyperresponsiveness in the offspring of obese mothers
OpenAlex ID: W7130827779