A new study by the National Institute of Health suggests that paternal obesity may hold-up a child's development.

The author of the study Edwina Yeung said, "the previous US studies in this area have focused on the mother's pre and post pregnancy weight." She added that the study conducted by researchers from the NIH's Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development "is one of the few that also includes information about fathers, and our results suggest that dad's weight also has significant influence on child development."

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Yeung and her team used statistical data from the Upstate KIDS study initially used to assess if child development can be affected by fertility treatments. Over 5,000 women were included in the assessment which took place between 2008 to 2010. The participating children were tested six times from four months until they reached the age of three.

According to investigations, kids of mothers suffering from obesity have a high chance of failing fine motor skill tests such as control of small muscle movement. On the other hand, obese fathers' children were more likely to be unsuccessful in social competence. Children whose parents are both obese were more likely to have poor skills in problem-solving.

Yeung mentioned that around one in every five expecting women in the United States is suffering from excessive weight while in Canada, 23 percent of pregnant women are also obese. In animal study, obesity triggers inflammation that strikes the brain of the fetus. The authors added that gene expression in sperm is also affected by obesity.

The authors of the study published in Journal of Pediatrics clarified that "it is important to keep in mind that some delays may not be permanent and some children may simply outgrow them."