Babies born to obese women face health risks (yet one more reason to lose weight)
A new report by experts in fetal medicine has found that being overweight is not good for mother or baby. The report is summarized in an article by Dr. Rajesh Swaminathan that appeared on abcnews.go.com today. It is definitely worth reading. Here are some of the important points:
- Babies born to overweight mothers have various types of birth defects, such as macrosomia (large body size) and shoulder dystocia (the baby's shoulder is injured when the baby tries to pass through the birth canal).
- Spina bifida, a serious birth defect that can cause paralysis, occurs twice as often in obese women compared to normal weight women. This may be because it is more difficult to detect neural tube defects, the abnormality that leads to spina bifida, by ultrasound because of the lower quality of ultrasound images in obese women.
- Obese moms also have a higher incidence of pregnancy-related high blood pressure, diabetes, and dangerous blood clots.
- They are more likely to have C-sections, post-operative infections, and spend more time recovering in the hospital after the birth.
The report recommends that women lose weight by dieting and exercise well before trying to get pregnant. Some women may want to consider weight-reduction surgery. Losing weight may help with conception because of improvements in the hormonal profile. Finally, good health habits established by moms before pregnancy may translate into good health habits for her and the whole family for years to come.