In recent years, the number of obese women of childbearing age has increased significantly. The aim of this study was to reveal the influence of maternal obesity during pregnancy on the longterm health of the offspring. This study was performed in the outpatient clinic in St. Petersburg with 76 adolescents with chronic diseases aged from 6 to 17 years. The mean age of the examined was 12.67 ± 3.19 years; the ratio of girls to boys was 6 : 7. Children were divided into 2 groups: the main group included 26 adolescents whose mothers were obese before and during pregnancy. 50 teen agers from mothers with normal BMI during pregnancy presented comparison group. The main group and the comparison group did not differ in age and sex. The children were examined by a pediatrician. Data on the transferred diseases are obtained from an outpatient card. It has been established that maternal obesity may be considered a risk factor for miscarriage, having low birth weight babies or babies weighing more than 4 kg, as well as a risk factor for rickets, parathrophies and functional constipation in the first year of life. In adolescentes, obesity, euthyroid goiter, hypothalamic syndrome and other endocrinopathies are typical for children born from obese mothers. Several medical conditions related to obesity such as chronic pancreatitis, hiatal hernia, iron deficiency anemia and orthopaedic foot and ankle pathology are commonly seen in children of obese mothers. Maternal obesity is associated with diseases of children not only in the period of newborn, but also in adolescence.

Adipose tissue is now recognized as an important endocrine organ that secretes numerous protein hormones, including leptin, adiponectin, and resistin. Adiponectin is a hormone that is produced by white adipose tissue. Adiponectin has been isolated independently by several groups of scientists. In humans, this protein is encoded by the ADIPOQ gene. Adiponectin receptors are widely distributed in many organs and tissues including liver, heart, pancreas, kidneys, muscles and many other cell types. A serum concentration of adipocin correlates with body mass index (BMI). Decreased level of adiponectin leads to obesity, the development of gestational complications in pregnant women, as well as a high risk of diabetes mellitus development and atherosclerosis. A high concentration of this hormone has anti-inflammatory, antiatherogenic, antiproliferative and cancer-defense mechanisms. Adiponectin strongly suppresses hepatic gluconeogenesis by inhibiting genes involved in glucose production. Obese people have lower blood levels of adiponectin than normal weight individuals. Adiponectin’s anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties result in protection of the blood vessels, heart, lungs, and colon. Adiponectin, an abundant adipocyte-secreted factor with a wide-range of biological activities, improves insulin sensitivity in insulin target tissues, modulates inflammatory responses, and plays a crucial role in the regulation of energy metabolism.

Insulin-like growth factor is one of the regulators of fetal growth in the intrauterine period, and is responsible for its further development. Purpose. To study postnatal growth in relation to insulin-like growth factor-1 and somatotropic hormonelevels in infants born to obese mothers. Materials and methods. The prospective study included 18 children (16 full-term and 2 premature infants of gestational age 31-35 weeks) born to mothers who were obese before pregnancy (group 1) and 18 children (17 full-term and 1 premature baby of gestational age 34 weeks) from mothers with normal body mass index before pregnancy. Weight and height were estimated at birth, at 3 and 6 months. Serum levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 and somatotropic hormonewere determined by ELISA at birth in umbilical cord blood at 3, 6 and 12 months. Results. During the neonatal period, at 3 and 6 months, height and weight did not have significant differences in both groups. At the age of 1 year in group 1 weight and height were higher than in group 2 (p < 0.05). Indicators of insulin-like growth factor-1 (128.71 ± 74.29 and 21.33 ± 15.21 ) and somatotropic hormone (4.3 ± 1.5 and 1.84 ± 0.36) was also higher in children of group 1 aged 1 year. Conclusion. Changes in the somatotropic hormone – insulin-like growth factor-1 axis in children born to obese mothers may form the basis of metabolic syndrome in the future.