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A new study found that women with polycystic ovary syndrome and obesity are more likely to have smaller babies in terms of birth weight, length, and head circumference. The study was conducted by researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).

PCOS, or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a condition that is caused due to hormonal imbalance. The condition affects women of reproductive age. Women with PCOS produce very high levels of hormones called androgens which causes an imbalance in your reproductive hormones. This results in irregular menstrual cycles missed periods and unpredictable ovulation.

For the study, the researchers compared 390 children born to women with PCOS with about 70,000 children from the Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). The researchers found that on average, kids born to moms with PCOS weighed less, were shorter, and had a smaller head circumference. This was especially true for obese moms, who had a BMI of 30 or above.

Professor Eszter Vanky at NTNU’s Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine said, “In women of normal weight who have PCOS, we only find that their children have a lower birth weight compared to women who do not have PCOS. It is the group of children born to mothers with obesity that stands out the most. These babies have lower weight, shorter stature and a smaller head circumference. Obesity places an additional burden on mothers who have PCOS and their children.”

Vanky said, “What is unusual is that women who are generally overweight and gain a lot of weight during pregnancy usually have an increased risk of giving birth to large babies. This also applies to women who develop gestational diabetes. On average, women with PCOS have higher BMIs, gain more weight during pregnancy and 25 per cent of them develop gestational diabetes. However, the outcome is the opposite: these women give birth to babies who are smaller than average. We still don’t know why, but we see that the placenta is affected in these women.”

The researchers do not know why this is the case.

Vanky said that there are many hypotheses, but I don't think anyone has a definitive answer yet. “Previously, we thought the cause was linked to the high levels of male sex hormones, but we have not been able to fully connect the two. We also know that women with PCOS have a slightly different immune profile during pregnancy.”

“A newborn baby is not a blank slate. Much of our long-term health is established in the womb. Genes play a role, but also what we are exposed to during the foetal stage and early in life,” added Vanky.

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