Maternal obesity is associated with an increased risk of birth defects and diabetes, according to a new study.
New research from UC Riverside suggests it also may also weaken babies' immune system.
Researchers examined the umbilical cord blood of 39 mothers. Of those, 11 were lean, 14 were overweight and 14 were obese.
UC Riverside immunologist Ilhem Messaoudi said the babies of obese mothers had fewer CD4 T-cells and dendritic cells, both of which play a crucial role in the immune system.
"Those are really important for generating vaccine responses and coordinating immune responses against infection," she said.
Messaoudi said her research indicates that babies born to obese mothers have a compromised immune system.
"These children may not be able to respond to vaccinations as well as children born to lean mothers, and they might be at a higher risk of getting sick in their first few years of life," she said.
Massaoudi's study will appear in the journal Pediatric Allergy and Immunology.
