All the ladies who weigh on a heavier side and wish to have a baby should lose weight before getting pregnant to avoid complications, claims a recent study.
A research carried out by Trinity College highlights that women with obesity have a range of increased health risks in pregnancy, both for them and their babies, compared with those in the healthy weight category.
According to the researchers, the global rates of maternal obesity have reached epidemic proportions with prevalence of maternal obesity in women aged 20-39 year.
Maternal obesity, which means having a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or over during pregnancy, is linked with a range of adverse outcomes for mothers and babies during pregnancy, the birth and post-natally.
It is also linked to greater risk of pre-term birth, large-for-gestational-age babies, fetal defects, congenital anomalies and perinatal death.
The researchers found that maternal obesity is the most significant factor leading to obesity in the children and excessive weight gain in pregnancy also results in long-term obesity for women.
Professor Cecily Begley said that it has been a serious health problem that wasn’t currently being adequately addressed and could have significant implications for both the women and their babies.
She added that it was important not to stigmatise women because of their weight and they need to provide pre-conceptual health education, through national subsidised programmes, to support and encourage women with a high BMI to lose weight before they conceive.
