A dietary and lifestyle intervention for pregnant women who were overweight or obese did not alter their children’s growth or adiposity at 18 months, according to a study results published in Pediatrics.

“WHO estimates 42 million children younger than the age of 5 years are overweight or obese globally, representing a significant burden of disease and associated health care costs,” Jodie M. Dodd, MD, PhD, of the University of Adelaide, and colleagues wrote. “Maternal obesity is associated with an increased risk of preschool obesity, with the risk ranging from a 1.6-fold to a more than sixfold increase, compared with offspring of women of normal BMI, potentially creating a vicious cycle impacting successive generations.”