What is the Connection Between Obesity and Pregnancy?

Obesity during pregnancy can lead to health risks and complications for both the mother and baby. Some complications of obesity and pregnancy for the expecting mother include gestational diabetes and preeclampsia. The unborn fetus, on the other hand, may be susceptible to excessive weight gain called macrosoma, having a neural tube defect, or becoming obese during his or her childhood. Most doctors are particularly concerned that the combination of obesity and pregnancy can also damage a woman’s reproductive system.

Some pregnant women literally live by the rule of eating for two. As a consequence, food portions are doubled at an unhealthy rate, causing obesity. Many health conditions may develop in the fetus as a result of obesity and pregnancy. The mother is susceptible to getting gestational diabetes, which appears during pregnancy due to high sugar levels. When the mother has gestational diabetes, the baby may also experience significant weight gain, called macrosoma.

Babies born to an obese mother are also likely to experience obesity growing up. This perpetuates the cycle of obesity. Not only can the baby gain weight, but there might be a difficult delivery which may also lead to other complications.

If the mother has preeclampsia, which is the development of excessively high blood pressure during pregnancy, the baby’s life may be in danger and several of the mother’s organs might be affected. High blood pressure has a negative impact on the mother’s kidneys, brain, and liver, and some babies are born prematurely to mothers with preeclampsia. Mothers with preeclampsia tend to have low birth rates.

Doctors are likely to have trouble detecting neural tube defects when the mother’s adipose — or fatty — tissue blocks an accurate ultrasound. In these situations, doctors do not detect the presence of illnesses that may develop in the fetus. One common disorder is spina bifida, which is a condition where the spinal cord does not develop properly.

Some health care providers suggest ways that a woman can prevent obesity and the long-term effects of pregnancy complications. A woman who is diagnosed as obese should lose weight prior to becoming pregnant. If the woman becomes pregnant, eating a proper diet and exercising regularly can help her maintain a proper weight. A doctor-approved exercise regimen throughout the pregnancy might minimize the amount of weight gained. Usually, the doctor will monitor the mother’s weight during the pregnancy.

There are measures that can prevent the onset of issues related to obesity and pregnancy. Maintaining a healthy weight after a pregnancy is just as important as during a pregnancy, even if the mother was not obese prior to the pregnancy. This can help to minimize health complications from obesity and pregnancy that may arise after giving birth which might jeopardize the mother’s health or the next pregnancy.