High-Fat Diet During Pregnancy Linked to Liver Stress in Babies

A new study has found that a high-fat, high-sugar diet during pregnancy may cause liver stress in unborn babies, with effects that persist into early childhood. This stress is linked to changes in bile acids, which are necessary for digestion but can become toxic at high levels. The study highlights how maternal nutrition may contribute to long-term liver disease risk in children.

Babies exposed to high-fat diets in the womb show higher bile acid levels, which can damage their liver and increase the risk of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), which affects up to 30% of young people. This liver damage and changes in bile acid processing persist into childhood, regardless of diet after birth.

The study was co-authored by Jed Friedman, Ph.D., associate vice provost for diabetes programs at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and director of the OU Health Harold Hamm Diabetes Center. The research underscores the critical link between maternal diet and early liver health, emphasizing the potential for early intervention and preventative care.

These findings suggest that nutritional guidance for pregnant women and regular monitoring of at-risk children may help manage long-term liver health outcomes.

This work highlights the importance of the joint clinical, research, and educational missions of OU Health and the University of Oklahoma.

Discover more insights from the University of Oklahoma on the role of maternal diet in preventing liver disease in children.

Mother’s High-Fat Diet Can Cause Liver Stress in Fetus, Study Shows