The Risks of Obesity During Pregnancy
by Jennifer Bunn, RNWomen who are an unhealthy weight during pregnancy may be putting themselves and their unborn babies at risk. More than half of non-pregnant women of childbearing age are considered overweight or obese. Gaining too much weight during pregnancy can lead to complications for both mother and baby.
Complications for babies can include neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, heart defects and the risk of having more than one health problem at birth, or multiple anomalies. In addition, babies born to overweight mothers are more likely to be obese when they grow up.
For overweight pregnant mothers, health risks can run the gamut from high blood pressure to preeclampsia, increasing the risk of a cesarean birth, the necessity of inducing labor, and hemorrhage. In addition, being overweight or obese during pregnancy increases the risk of gestational diabetes. Having diabetes during pregnancy is one of the risk factors for the development of type 2 diabetes later on.
There is a definite relationship between obesity in pregnancy and obesity in the offspring of overweight women. By entering pregnancy at a healthy weight, women can reduce the risk of their children becoming obese, lowering their future risk of diseases related to obesity, such as heart disease and diabetes.
Source: Overweight Pregnant Women May Be Putting Their Infants At Risk
