Thus the maternal weight influences child health and the risk of breast cancer

Two studies presented in the European Congress on Obesity (Eco 2025) underline the importance of addressing overweight and obesity in women and their families, not only to optimize maternal-child health, but also to reduce long-term risks such as childhood obesity and breast cancer.

An Australian investigation analyzed 2,121 pregnant women overweight or obesity, showing that The higher the maternal BMI in pregnancy, the greater the weight of the child from birth to 10 years. This link remained regardless of whether mothers received diet and physical activity advice or only standard prenatal care. In addition, the paternal BMI also significantly influenced child weight at 10 years.

“The BMI of a woman at the beginning of pregnancy impacts how her child grows up to 8-10 years of age, increasing her risk of overweight or obesity,” said Professor Jodie Dodd, of the Universidad de Adelaida. Dodd stressed that, since approximately 50% of women begin overweight or obesity, it is crucial to support families to improve their health before pregnancy and break the intergenerational cycle of obesity.

On the other hand, a British study presented by researcher Lee Malcomson, of the Manchester Universityhe found that women who experience a significant increase in adulthood weight and have their first child after 30 years, or have no children, have almost three times more risk of developing breast cancer compared to those who have an early first pregnancy and maintain a stable weight.

The analysis, based on data of 48,417 women, confirmed that an early pregnancy protects against postmenopausal breast cancerwhile adult weight gain increases risk. However, no evidence was found that an early pregnancy countered the negative impact of adulthood weight.

“The weight gain and age of the first childbirth interact importantly to determine the risk of breast cancer,” said Malcomson. “It is vital that doctors know this combination of factors to better guide lifestyle and prevention.”

These findings reinforce the need for public health policies that promote healthy weight not only during pregnancy, but throughout women’s reproductive life, in order to improve maternal-infantile health results and reduce the risk of diseases such as childhood obesity and breast cancer.