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Babies at Risk As Mothers' Obesity Doubles

Posted on: Monday, 27 December 2004, 09:00 CST

THE number of pregnant women who are putting themselves and their unborn babies at risk because of obesity has doubled in the past decade, a shocking new survey has revealed.

The report - written by medics from the University of Glasgow - found that one in five mothers-to-be who came for their first antenatal visit between 2002 and 2004 was clinically obese. In 1990, the figure was just one in 10.

Experts say the obesity epidemic among pregnant women is particularly disturbing because studies show they are 50 per cent more likely to die during pregnancy than those of normal weight.

Obese women are also far more prone to complications such as miscarriage, gestational diabetes, hypertension, pre-eclampsia, pre- term labour, and stillbirth.

There is preliminary evidence that babies are also adversely affected, and are more likely to be obese themselves in later life, with the consequent increased risks of heart disease and cancer.

Obstetricians and midwives report that some pregnant women are so obese that special equipment is needed to help at delivery.

In a few cases, caesarean sections are having to be performed on normal beds, as operating tables cannot take the mother's weight.

The study, which is the first of its kind in the UK, looked at more than 500 women, half of whom became pregnant in 1990 and half between 2002 and 2004.

In 1990, only 9.4 per cent were clinically obese. The figures for 2002-04, however, show that 18.9 per cent of women were obese. The figures were drawn from women who gave birth at Glasgow Royal Infirmary. There are unusually high levels of deprivation in the area, but researchers believe they largely reflect the country as a whole.

Dr Naveed Sattar, an expert in maternal reproductive health and obesity for the University of Glasgow, who helped write the report, said: "There is a lot of evidence that if the mother is obese going into pregnancy it increases the risk of miscarriage and early pregnancy and increases complications such as high-blood pressure and pre-eclampsia."

Overweight women are also prone to diabetes, which forces their unborn to produce more insulin in order to break down the mother's high sugar levels. As insulin causes growth, this means babies of obese women are usually themselves far larger, which in turn leads to complications in delivery.

Early work on 'foetal programming' suggests that such babies will be more likely to be obese because their metabolism and genetic make- up may be altered by the mother's health. Sattar added: "There is some early evidence that if the mother is overweight it might have adverse consequences on the baby's health."

The figures suggest that Britain is following America's troubling lead on obesity. In the US, there is evidence of 20 per cent increase in maternal weight over the past two decades. That led to increases in the number of maternal and infant deaths attributable to obesity.

About 21 per cent of adult Scots are classified as obese, and it is predicted the death toll from obesity will top that from smoking in the next 10 to 15 years. Particularly worrying are the rates of obesity in children. Figures released earlier this month found that 16 per cent of children aged six to 15 are obese and that 10 per cent of youngsters starting primary school are overweight.

Last night, Dr David Haslam, chair of the National Obesity Forum, described the study as "alarming". He said: "The causes of obesity are multi-factorial. It is partly because many babies are not breast- fed; it is partly to do with poor diet; partly because of a lack of activity and sports; a little bit of genetics thrown in as well; and also a little bit to do with the fact that now we all have three TVs, three computers and three cars."

A Scottish Executive spokeswoman last night said it would act over the report's findings. "The apparent rise in the number of pregnant women who are obese reflects this more general trend," she said. " The Executive cannot and is not sitting back and doing nothing to stop this health time bomb.

"As regards the rest of the population, we are making huge strides by delivering healthier food including free fruit and water in schools and more opportunities to be active in schools and in local communities every day."

Source: Scotland on Sunday

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