Parents' weight loss before pregnancy and children's long-term health
Official title: Preconception obesity treatment: maternal bariatric surgery and long-term child health outcomes
Funded at Oregon Health & Science University · NIH-11170450 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether mothers who lose weight from bariatric surgery before pregnancy have children who grow into healthier weights through early childhood.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Oregon Health & Science University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Portland, United States) |
| Project start | September 19, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $458,597 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD109246-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11170450 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for involvement are women who had bariatric surgery before becoming pregnant and their children through early childhood (up to about 6 years of age).
✕Less likely to help
People without a history of maternal obesity or bariatric surgery, children older than the follow-up window, or those seeking immediate treatment for a child's weight issues are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
You would be learning from real medical records and follow-up data from a large group of women who had bariatric surgery before becoming pregnant and their children. The team will compare birth size, infant weight gain, and children's BMI up to age 6 between children of mothers who had surgery and children in two control groups. The researchers combine past health records, growth measurements, and other clinical data to see patterns in long-term child health. Their goal is to understand both potential benefits and any risks for children after maternal preconception weight loss.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could help doctors give clearer advice to women planning pregnancy about how pre-pregnancy weight loss might affect their child's future risk of obesity.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies show mixed results—some short-term reductions in offspring obesity risk after maternal bariatric surgery but unclear or variable longer-term outcomes—so this work builds on but does not yet settle prior findings.
Where this research is happening
-
Oregon Health & Science University
Portland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Purnell, Jonathan Q. — Oregon Health & Science University
- Study coordinator: Purnell, Jonathan Q.
Related research
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This study is looking at how losing weight through surgery before having a baby might help reduce the chances of obesity and health problems in their children, and it’s for women who are considering or have had weight loss surgery.
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.