The prenatal and lactational exposure to maternal obesity and high-fat diet are associated with neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders in offspring. This review highlights key mechanisms by which maternal obesity and diet impact fetal and offspring neurodevelopment, including neuroinflammation; increased oxidative stress, dysregulated insulin, glucose, and leptin signaling; dysregulated serotonergic and dopaminergic signaling; and perturbations in synaptic plasticity.
Epidemiologic studies have demonstrated an association between maternal obesity and neurodevelopmental and psychiatric morbidities in offspring, including Intellectual disability/cognitive deficits Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Cerebral palsy (CP) Anxiety and depression Eating disorders: including food addiction, anorexia, and bulimia Intellectual disability,…
