Background The prevalence of maternal obesity is rising rapidly worldwide and constitutes a
major obstetric problem, increasing mortality and morbidity in both mother and offspring.
Obese women are predisposed to pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes
mellitus (GDM), and children of obese mothers are more likely to develop cardiovascular
and metabolic disease in later life. Maternal obesity and GDM may be associated with a
state of chronic, low-grade inflammation termed “metainflammation”, as opposed to an acute …