Obesity, inflammation and pregnancy: a dangerous triad

Abstract

Introduction: Obesity is a common state during pre-gestational stage and pregnancy, and it is a dangerous condition for mother-children health due to its significant obstetric and perinatal complications in the short and long terms.
Objective: Describe the pathogenic links in the obesity, inflammation and pregnancy’s triad.
Methods: This bibliographic review was made mainly in PudMed Central, SciELO and Clinical Key, with the descriptors obesity, inflammation and pregnancy.
Analysis and synthesis of the information: Among the unfavourable effects of obesity can be found miscarriages, gestational diabetes, hypertension, macrostomy, pre-term labour, congenital anomalies and fetal death. It is associated in the long term with metabolic disorder and diseases in mothers and their descendants. These unfavourable effects are related with a low grade’s chronic inflammation state that accompanies the excess body weight. In this inflammatory process the adipose tissue, the placenta with excessive secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the reduction of anti-inflammatory cytokines have an important role. Also two mediators as leptin and adiponectin have vital roles.
Conclusions: Although the mechanisms that link the negative effects of obesity with pregnancy are not very well known, it is posible that chronic inflammation of low grade can be the main link; therefore, obesity, inflammation and pregnancy’s triad represents a dangerous relation for mother-fetus health