Pre-Pregnancy Pounds Put Mom, Baby at Risk
Pre-Pregnancy Pounds Put Mom, Baby at Risk
Feb. 25, 2002 -- Most women know that taking vitamins and avoiding drugs like caffeine and alcohol can help assure a healthy pregnancy. But a new report warns many more may not be aware that simply losing weight and being in shape before pregnancy could be just as important to the health of both baby and mom.
A new report presented today by the March of Dimes Task Force on Nutrition and Optimal Human Development shows women who are overweight or obese are 30% to 40% more likely to deliver a baby with a major birth defect such as those that affect the brain, heart, and digestive system.
"It's an area where weight matters more than we think," says Richard Deckelbaum, MD, chairman of the task force and director of the Institute of Human Nutrition at Columbia University. "People don't really understand the effect on the babies."
He says it's harder to get pregnant when you're overweight, and then if you do get pregnant, the risk of complications during pregnancy and problems for the baby increase dramatically.
Overweight was defined as being 10-15% heavier than recommended for a woman's height, or having a body mass index or BMI (a measurement of weight in relation to height) of 25 to 30. Obese was having a BMI of 30 or more. A BMI of 18.5 to 25 is generally considered to be healthy, which equates to a weight of between 110 to 144 pounds for a 5-foot-4-inch woman of average build.
The report shows overweight or obese women are at increased risk of having complications during pregnancy such as gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia or eclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy), and hospitalization.
"The risk of the mother being hospitalized during pregnancy goes up four times if she's overweight. If her BMI is over 35, the risk goes up by six to seven times," says Deckelbaum. The risk of stillbirth or death in the first week after birth, known as perinatal mortality, also increases as maternal BMI increases.
Deckelbaum says most doctors -- as well as their patients -- are unaware of this connection even though the risks are well documented by research. He says the public seems to understand the importance of other things women can do to ensure a healthy pregnancy and baby, such as folic acid supplementation, but the message about being in shape before pregnancy has been lost.
Pre-Pregnancy Pounds Put Mom, Baby at Risk
Feb. 25, 2002 -- Most women know that taking vitamins and avoiding drugs like caffeine and alcohol can help assure a healthy pregnancy. But a new report warns many more may not be aware that simply losing weight and being in shape before pregnancy could be just as important to the health of both baby and mom.
A new report presented today by the March of Dimes Task Force on Nutrition and Optimal Human Development shows women who are overweight or obese are 30% to 40% more likely to deliver a baby with a major birth defect such as those that affect the brain, heart, and digestive system.
"It's an area where weight matters more than we think," says Richard Deckelbaum, MD, chairman of the task force and director of the Institute of Human Nutrition at Columbia University. "People don't really understand the effect on the babies."
He says it's harder to get pregnant when you're overweight, and then if you do get pregnant, the risk of complications during pregnancy and problems for the baby increase dramatically.
Overweight was defined as being 10-15% heavier than recommended for a woman's height, or having a body mass index or BMI (a measurement of weight in relation to height) of 25 to 30. Obese was having a BMI of 30 or more. A BMI of 18.5 to 25 is generally considered to be healthy, which equates to a weight of between 110 to 144 pounds for a 5-foot-4-inch woman of average build.
The report shows overweight or obese women are at increased risk of having complications during pregnancy such as gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia or eclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy), and hospitalization.
"The risk of the mother being hospitalized during pregnancy goes up four times if she's overweight. If her BMI is over 35, the risk goes up by six to seven times," says Deckelbaum. The risk of stillbirth or death in the first week after birth, known as perinatal mortality, also increases as maternal BMI increases.
Deckelbaum says most doctors -- as well as their patients -- are unaware of this connection even though the risks are well documented by research. He says the public seems to understand the importance of other things women can do to ensure a healthy pregnancy and baby, such as folic acid supplementation, but the message about being in shape before pregnancy has been lost.
