Does maternal obesity affect the health of the fetus? / Macrosomia / Fetal growth restriction / Does Maternal obesity pose a risk to the mother or child?
Good mental and physical health of the mother is essential to ensure the health of the unborn child. While trying to conceive or being pregnant, there are many factors to check to keep your health under control.
Many people do not realize that while maternal health is one of the most important requirements for conception, overweight or obesity can negatively affect fertility, pregnancy and the likelihood of having a healthy baby. Yes, maintaining a healthy weight for women can greatly help them conceive easily. Obesity is the root cause of many diseases. Pregnancy affects the process in many ways from conception to delivery. Also known as silent killer.
What weight is considered maternal obesity?
A woman with a BMI over 30 is considered obese. maternal overweight is defined as a BMI between 25 and 29.9 kg/m2. Maternal obesity is further stratified into classes: class I (BMI 30–34.9), class II (BMI 35–39.9), and class III (BMI ≥40).
Causes of Maternal obesity:
Dietary intake during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Overweight and obesity are caused by many factors including behaviors like eating patterns, lack of sleep or physical activity, and some medicines, as well as genetics and family history.
A low healthy eating index (HEI) has been shown to be associated with overweight and obesity during pregnancy, as well as obesity prior to pregnancy.
Let's look at how obesity affects fertility and pregnancy.
Obesity causes problems for pregnant women trying to get pregnant...
- Obesity is linked to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Experts say this is a significant cause of low fertility rates or infertility.
- Excess body weight of the mother increases the risk of delivery in some cases and also poses a risk to the unborn child. To confirm this, it has been found that most of the stillbirths are caused by obese mothers.
- Obese pregnant women are more prone to sleep apnea. Similarly, obese pregnant women have a higher risk of suffering from respiratory infections.
- Delivering the baby 2-3 weeks before the expected due date may shorten the time needed for the baby to develop properly. Obese mothers are more likely to face premature births.
- Obesity is one of the main factors that increase the risk of gestational diabetes.
- Studies have shown that babies born to obese women are more prone to chronic diseases at birth. Children born to obese mothers are at risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
- Having a high BMI during pregnancy increases the risk of various pregnancy complications including miscarriage, complications in delivery. Obese pregnant women may have recurrent miscarriages.
- Obese mothers are more likely to give birth to larger than average sized babies. This condition is referred to as macrosomia.
- Obesity during pregnancy can affect one's liver, kidneys and other vital organs.
Prevent maternal obesity:
Obese pregnant women should exercise daily and follow a balanced diet as advised by their doctors. Experts say plenty of rest and peace of mind are important.