Researchers at Newcastle University have found that obese mothers are significantly more likely to have children with birth defects than slim mothers. The research highlights the dangers of obesity in expecting mothers at a time when an estimated one in six pregnant women in Britain is overweight or obese. Experts are calling for UK Government's anti-obesity campaign (Change4Life) to specifically target and educate women in the child-bearing age about the complications related to being pregnant when you are over-weight or obese. This research also calls on the Doctors to be made more aware of the complications that obese or over-weight expecting mothers can possibly suffer.
According to the review of 39 separate scientific studies, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, there were more than twice babies as likely to be born with spina bifida, (with incomplete spinal cord causing disability) and 30 per cent more likely to have heart defects and 20 per cent more likely to be born with a cleft palate.
A separate study warns that doctors routinely miss warnings signs of heart disease in pregnancy, despite the condition being responsible for 2.27 deaths per 100,000 pregnancies, twice the rate it was in the 1990s.
These studies have shown that obesity can result in critical consequences for obese mothers. It is definitely the right time to start tackling obesity before it gets too late.
Further Reading:
Download support materials from Change For Life campaign
Read more on how fat mothers are associated with birth defects
Help and advice from Manchester Slimming Clinic
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ReplyDeletethanks for the informative article..it is so sad if babies get affected after they birth. Mother's should take care of themselves during pregnancy
ReplyDeleteIt's not easy also for obese woman to get pregnant. It's better for them to reduce weight before they plan to have a baby.
ReplyDeleteObviously obesity causes a greater risk of complications during pregnancy, but May be try and pick up the exercise a little with walking each day and swimming, nothing too high impact. i dont see anything wrong with it. Thanks for your article.
ReplyDeleteLenisa
My wife is not obese but she is over-weight to say the least. She cannot stop munching stuff that is not healthy specially when she is too stressed. We lately had a baby girl and though she is quite healthy and allright, she seems to have some problem with her eyes, do you guys think it has something to do with her mother's being obese or over-weight?
ReplyDeleteWhy am I not surprised to her this? I do believe there is something to be done, but there are a lot of women who do not care how much they weigh!
ReplyDeleteIm sure that has nothing to do with the mothers weight..
ReplyDeleteI dont think so, that mothers weight will effect the child.
ReplyDeleteI think a healthy weight will help anyone. it helps with health as well as self esteem
ReplyDeleteSeeing as how overweight people are more likely to have gestational diabetes, I'd say that it does have to do with the mother's weight. That's why women are no longer allowed to just go crazy with the "eating for two" excuse and weight is closely monitored.
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ReplyDeleteI think a healthy weight will help anyone. I can't agree more!
ReplyDeleteI am also not surprised to hear this. With the all the dangers of obesity I wonder why more women aren't actively involved in losing weight. Anyway, thanks for sharing this. I guess that's more reason why I should watch my weight and ensure I constantly engage in exercises to keep the weight down.
ReplyDeleteNot surprising at all. At first I read "Obese women significantly more likely to have children" and I was thinking 'okay that kind of makes sense' but then I realized...
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah this seems pretty logical, obese people eat unhealthy food and this unhealthy food isn't supportive to the baby!
Why am I not surprised to her this? I do believe there is something to be done, but there are a lot of women who do not care how much they weigh!
ReplyDeleteI think that this proves the importance of a good healthy lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteOne more reason to lose weight.
ReplyDeleteYes all the information posted in this post is very true.Mother's themselves should be aware also for the good of their own baby.
ReplyDeleteit all about educating yourself about these things then making sure that you apply what you have learnt
ReplyDeleteWow, those are amazing results. Just goes to show how bad having too much weight is..
ReplyDeleteI would have to agree, being obese can bring so many other health related problems with it.
ReplyDeleteThe risk of the baby having defect is low, usually 2%-4% of pregnancy. Though it more advisable that you shed weight before conception!
ReplyDeleteI’ m glad to read this blog post and comments on obesity of pregnant women. I think it’s really dangerous issue as compared to cervical cancer for pregnant women. She’ll have to reduce weight before thinking to have baby as this invites heart problem and other disease to their baby.
ReplyDeletepregnancy time is very tuff for women. your blog will helpful to pregnant women. You have nicely described whole things here.
ReplyDeleteObsesity is an issue of concern.I think all moms should get aware of this & take preventive measures for them & for their baby.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that needs to be considered is that while obesity is related to birth defects, more research needs to be done to determine if obesity itself is increasing the risk of defects, or is it a third factor, such as hormonal imbalance, that causes a predisposition to both obesity and birth defects.
ReplyDeleteIt is possive that the same factors that predispose a woman to obesity, such as hormonal imbalance, also play a role in birth defects
ReplyDelete