Obesity and Pregnancy| problems | Preventive measures

Posted on September 3, 2007 in Latest News

Leading birth defects specialists say maternal obesity during pregnancy puts both mom and baby at risk, and they are calling on health care providers to awareness about this issue.

Obesity causes several problems during Pregnancy. Here are some of the dangers which have been observed by various researchers.

Obese women have an increased risk of infertility and pregnancy-related complications, including hypertension, gestational diabetes, and blood clots.

Women who are obese are more likely than women who aren’t to require cesarean sections.

Studies indicate obesity doubles a woman’s chances of having a baby with neural tube defects, and even adequate folic acid intake does not fully protect against the increase in risk.

Compared with normal-weight women, obese women have a greater risk of developing complications during pregnancy.

Research states that obese mothers are more likely to give birth to babies with some kind of structural birth defect, such as missing arms and/or legs, malformed hearts and badly developed spinal cords.

Preventive measures have been taken and clinicians have been encouraged to counsel women who are pregnant or may become pregnant about folic acid, smoking cessation, avoidance of [alcohol], and most importantly about appropriate caloric intake and exercise. Also, obese women are recommended to lose weight before becoming pregnant.

However, women are warned not to diet during pregnancy, as adequate nutrition is important for pregnant women and women planning pregnancy.

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Obesity Dangers during Pregnancy

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