Editorial: Obesity, hyperglycemia, and pregnancy: from pathophysiology to clinical practice - volume II

Adverse nutritional and genetic factors play a significant role in the pathogenesis of non-communicable diseases. Pregnancy represents a critical time window in which maternal metabolic disturbances, such as obesity and hyperglycemia, may result in short- and long-term complications for both the mother and the offspring. There is strong evidence that even pre- and periconceptional parental insults can affect fetal development by activating specific key mechanisms of epigenetic reprogramming. Therefore, the study of trans-generational effects is a very promising field of research, as the knowledge of pathophysiological and clinical mechanisms induced by maternal obesity and hyperglycemia during pregnancy could shed light on the health of the next generation and provide useful preventive tools