Skip to main content

Risk of baby death higher in obese women

Obese women are twice as likely to lose their baby in the womb or in their first year of life than those with normal weight, a new study has claimed.
Researchers at the Newcastle University who examined over 40,000 pregnancies at maternity units in the U.K. found that the risk of baby death was double among obese women.
They found that those with a body mass index (BMI) of more than 30 were 1.6 per cent more like to lose their baby compared to 0.9 per cent in women who have normal weight, or a BMI between 18.5 and 24.5, the Daily Mail reported.
This means infant mortality rates for babies born to obese women were on average 16 in 1,000 babies, while it’s nine per 1,000 for mothers of a healthy weight, said the researchers.
The findings suggested that it was important for women to achieve a healthy weight before getting pregnant to give their babies the best chance, they stressed but warned against dieting during pregnancy.
Dr Ruth Bell, who led the three year study, said: “The results we found were not totally unexpected as there have been similar studies done in the past that have arrived at the same conclusion.
“However I want to reassure mothers that it is uncommon for foetal and infant deaths -- most women deliver healthy babies despite what weight they are.
“When a woman is pregnant it is not the right time for her to go on a diet as it is most important that she eats healthily, ensuring her baby gets all the essential nutrients it needs.
“What is important, however, is that women are helped and supported to achieve a healthy weight before they become pregnant or after the baby is born, as this will give the baby the best start to life.”
For the study, the researchers collected information during mothers’ antenatal visits between 2003 and 2005 and the optimum weight for a mum-to-be was reported at being a BMI of 23.
The research suggested a reason for the increased risk of baby deaths in obese women was due to a higher number of cases of pre-eclampsia, a serious pregnancy complication that is diagnosed by high blood pressure and protein in the urine.
“When a woman is obese there is an increased risk of high blood pressure or diabetes developing during pregnancy.
As a result it is important that the mother and baby are regularly monitored,” Dr Bell added.
The researchers adjusted their results to take account of the mothers’ age, ethnicity, smoking status, socio-economic status, and for the birth weight and gestational age of the babies.
Pregnancies where the baby had a congenital problem, of where the mother had a history of diabetes were excluded.
The new findings were published in the medical journal Human Reproduction.

Source - The Hindu
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MCI Dec 2009 Amendments for Minimum Qualification for Teachers

MEDICAL COUNCIL OF INDIA AMENDMENT NOTIFICATION New Delhi, the 15th December, 2009 No.MCI-12(2)/2009-Med.Misc./56925. - In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 33 of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 (102 of 1956), the Medical Council of India with the previous sanction of the Central Government, hereby makes the following Regulations to further amend the “Minimum Qualifications for Teachers in Medical Institutions Regulations 1998”, namely: - 1. (i) These Regulations may be called the “Minimum Qualifications for Teachers in Medical Institutions (Amendment) Regulations, 2009 - Part-III”. (ii) They shall come into force from the date of their publication in the Official Gazette. 2. In the “Minimum Qualification for Teachers in Medical Institutions Regulations, 1998”, the following additions/modifications/deletions/ substitutions, shall be, as indicated therein: - 3(a). In Clause 4(A) under the heading “Professor” as amended vide “Minimum Qualification for Teachers in Medical I...
64 comments
Read more

Maharastra Medical Council CME Guidelines

Medical Science is dynamic and there is no end of learning for a doctor. This is in essence the concept of continuing medical education (CME). Tremendous advances are taking place in the field of medical sciences, which are continuously changing the concept, approach to management and the outcome of several diseases. The rapid pace of these advances makes it mandatory for doctors to keep themselves updated so that they may apply this information to their patient’s well being and improve the quality of care rendered to them. A doctor must never be satisfied with his/her current level of proficiency and must always strive to enhance his/her competence and knowledge by keeping abreast with the latest developments in the field. The Central Government of India has notified the new Ethics regulations in the Gazette of India on April 16, 2002, provides that “ A Physician should participate in professional meetings as part of Continuing Medical Education Programmes, for at least 30 hours ever...
21 comments
Read more

MCI rules ammended and favours young Professors

AMENDMENT NOTIFICATION New Delhi, the 21st July, 2009 No.MCI-12(2) /2009-Med. -22654 - In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 33 of the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 (102 of 1956), the Medical Council of India with the previous sanction of the Central Government, hereby makes the following Regulations to amend the “Minimum Qualifications for Teachers in Medical Institutions Regulations 1998” , namely: - 1. (i) These Regulations may be called the “Minimum Qualifications for Teachers in Medical Institutions (Amendment) Regulations, 2009” . (ii) They shall come into force from the date of their publication in the Official Gazette. 2. In the “Minimum Qualification for Teachers in Medical Institutions Regulations, 1998” , the following additions/modificat ions/deletions/ substitutions, shall be, as indicated therein: - 3(i)(a). In Schedule I, Clause (2), the words “The Heads of these departments must possess recognized basic university medical degree qualification or equivalent q...
27 comments
Read more