Obesity and Adipose Tissue Inflammation in Pregnant Mothers

Study 1 Visit 1: Sign consent form, age, height, weight, and completion of questionnaires (e.g. food record). Consent will allow the investigators to gain access to medical record to record pregnancy-related health information on the mother (e.g., prenatal care including but not limited to maternal vital signs, clinical documents and fetal well-being - such as # pregnancies; reason for scheduled C-section; starting body weight and weight gain during pregnancy; BP throughout pregnancy; glucose challenge test (GCT) and glucose tolerance test (GTT) results; disease history; medications; pregnancy complications). The investigators will also access any fetal monitoring (e.g., including any cardiac ultrasounds that may have been performed.) Screening fasting bloods - glucose, insulin, HbA1c, blood lipids, CRP, inflammatory cytokine panel (TNFa, IL-6, IL-4, IL-13), adipokines (adiponectin, leptin), and sex hormones (e.g., estradiol, testosterone, progesterone). The investigators will also perform a limited ultrasound to assess fetal cardiac function and adiposity at this time. Subjects will be given a physical activity monitor to wear for 7 days.

Visit 2: C-section: At this visit during the C-section, a sample (~1000 mg/depot) of omental and subcutaneous fat samples will be taken for assessment of inflammatory genes/proteins. Cord blood (~15 ml) for assessment of inflammatory genes/proteins.

Visit 3: 1 month post-partum Mother: Resting blood pressure, fasting blood sample (glucose, insulin, HbA1c, blood lipids, CRP, inflammatory cytokine panel (TNFa, IL-6, IL-4, IL-13), adipokines (adiponectin, leptin)), sex hormones (estradiol, progesterone, testosterone), and body composition measurement. Completion of questionnaires. Subjects will be given a physical activity monitor to wear for 7 days.

Study 2 Women will only be recruited to complete the C-section as described above They will have the option to have the baby measured in the pea pod and to wear a physical activity monitor for a week in the month before delivery.

Inclusion criteria

• Mothers who have low risk pregnancies (21-40 years) and are already scheduled to have a C-section. BMI ≤ 40 kg/m2

Exclusion criteria

• We will exclude emergency C-sections
• Subjects will have had a screening ultrasound that demonstrated the absence of congenital anomalies as part of routine prenatal care
• Mothers with high risk pregnancy
• BMI > 40 kg/m2