Lipids are critical for proper fetal development, but the fetus is unable to synthesize the critical long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids at the rate required to fulfill its developmental requirements. The placenta is not capable of making these essential fatty acids either, and so the fetus relies on maternal supply and placental transfer of these critical nutrients for development. Thus, changes to placental fatty acid transport have serious implications for fetal growth and long-term health. We have found that placentas from obese mothers take up and metabolize lipids differently from those of lean mothers, and that this may depend on whether the fetus is male or female. Placentas of obese women store more fat, and their mitochondria do not metabolize fatty acids efficiently, which may lead to impairments in energy production for other placental functions.

In this webinar, the distinguished speaker will discuss the impacts of maternal obesity on placental function and offspring outcomes and discuss ways we may be able to intervene and improve placental lipid metabolism with changes to maternal diet during pregnancy.

Moderator:

Dr. Lynne Ausman | Saqr Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi Professor of International Nutrition, Tufts University
Dr. Lynne Ausman is the Saqr Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi Professor in International Nutrition, as well as a professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. She has been an active investigator in USAID funded projects in Malawi, Uganda, Nepal, and most recently, in Jordan as part of the Feed the Future Jordan Nutrition Innovation Lab. She has been active in experimental studies with humans on lipoprotein response to several vegetable oils, trans fats and soy protein, and the glycemic response as modified by various meal components. Most recently she has been examining the molecular mechanism of action of carotenoids (both provitamin A and non-provitamin A) against several chronic diseases.

Speaker:

Dr. Perrie O'Tierney-Ginn | Research Associate Professor, Tufts University and Interim Executive Director of the Mother Infant Research Institute, Tufts Medical Center
Dr. Perrie O’Tierney-Ginn, PhD is a Research Associate Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology and the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University and is the Interim Executive Director of the Mother Infant Research Institute at Tufts Medical Center. Her overall interest is to understand the effect of the maternal nutritional environment on placental function, and fetal nutrient delivery and growth. A self-described “Perinatal Ecologist,” Dr. O’Tierney-Ginn is fascinated by the interaction between the mother, baby and placenta and their environment. Dr. O’Tierney-Ginn’s work is funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. You can find out more about her work at www.placentascience.com.