press_release_conclusion: Higher BMI in mothers before pregnancy is associated with shorter telomere length - a biomarker for biological age - in newborns, according to a study published in the open access journal BMC Medicine that involved 743 mothers and their babies. The study by researchers at Hasselt University, Belgium is the first to report a strong association between mothers' BMI and telomere length in newborns.
abstract_conclusion: Maternal pre-pregnancy BMI is associated with shorter newborn telomere lengths as reflected by cord blood and placental telomeres.