Tracking how pregnancy health affects children's weight and metabolism

This is a long-term research study that follows pregnant women and their children from birth through age 18. Researchers want to understand how a mother's health during pregnancy — including her weight, weight gain, and blood sugar levels — affects her child's growth, weight, and risk for obesity and metabolic diseases like diabetes. By tracking families over many years, scientists hope to identify early warning signs and ways to protect children's health.

Obesity and type 2 diabetes are growing serious health problems in American Indian and Hispanic communities, especially in children. This study exists to understand why these conditions develop early in life and to find ways to prevent them by learning what happens during pregnancy and early childhood.