TNI Bureau: Obese mothers can put their unborn babies at risk as they are more likely to give birth to an extra large baby – a new study has suggested.
Dr Mary Black, of the Kaiser Permanente Southern California’s department of research and evaluation conducted the study along with her team and found that women who were very fat during their pregnancy were 65 percent more likely to give birth to an extra large baby.
The researchers came to the conclusion after examining health records of 9,835 mothers over a five-year period between 2005 and 2010. Sixty percent of the total women examined were obese and 19 per cent developed gestational diabetes.
The research was conducted to bring to light the dangers to both mother and baby of the woman being overweight when she becomes pregnant, which revealed that those who were overweight while expecting were 65 percent more likely to give birth to a large child.
Dr Black said: “Unhealthy pre-pregnancy body weight, gestational diabetes and excess weight gain during pregnancy are all contributors to problems during pregnancy and at delivery.”
Earlier studies had shown that obese women were more likely to miscarriage or develop blood clots, diabetes or heart problems and more prone to obesity.