Males born to obese mothers more likely to suffer health issues as adults

Males born to obese women are more likely to be overweight at birth and develop metabolic complications in later life, including liver disease and diabetes.

The way that male sex hormones activate pathways in the developing liver is partly to blame.

That's the finding from a new study led by University of South Australia (UniSA) researchers looking at the impact of maternal obesity on fetal liver androgen signalling.

Male fetuses of obese pregnant women have different signals that are activated by male sex hormones in the liver, which encourages them to prioritise growth at the expense of their health.

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