Key Takeaways

Kids born to mothers who are very obese are at higher risk for severe infection

The risk extends from infanthood into teenage years

Respiratory and GI infection were most common

WEDNESDAY, June 4, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Children born to women who are obese have a higher risk of landing in a hospital with a severe infection , a new study says.

Infants under 1 year of age have a 41% increased risk of hospitalization for infection if their mom was severely obese during pregnancy, researchers reported June 3 in the journal BMJ Medicine .

And that risk extends into childhood and adolescence, with 5- to 15-year-olds 53% more likely to require hospital treatment for an infection, the study found.

“Most excess hospital admissions for infection were caused by respiratory

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