Mum’s weight affects miscarriage and mortality rates
The study, led by Dr Ruth Bell of Newcastle University, looked at more than 40,000 pregnancies at different maternity units throughout the North East. The study found that on average, the infant mortality rate was 16 out of 1,000 babies born to obese women compared to 9 out of 1,000 for healthy women.
Obesity was determined by the mum-to-be’s body mass index (BMI). Women that were considered to be obese had a BMI of over 30 whereas the women that were considered to be ‘normal’ had a BMI between 18.5 and 24.5. The results indicate that females should try to reach a healthy weight before getting pregnant and not try dieting once they are pregnant and also found that the optimal BMI when having a child is 23.
The study believed that one of the main reasons for the infant mortality rate was due to pre-eclampsia, but also due to a higher rate of diabetes within obese women. Obese women have a high chance of developing the high-blood pressure that comes with pre-eclampsia and have a higher risk of developing diabetes when they are pregnant. Both of these issues could potentially lead to the higher rate of miscarriages or infant mortality rate because it causes more stress during the pregnancies.
Dr. Ruth Bell, the researcher and clinical senior lecturer in the Institute of Health and Society at Newcastle University and associate director at the Regional Maternity Survey Office, says that “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. 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.”
The study did consider and adjusted the results when they factored in the socio-economic status of the mother, the mother’s age, the ethnicity, the weight of the baby and the gestational age of the baby when conducting their three year study. The researchers also excluded any pregnancies where the mother had previous congenital problems, such as diabetes.
The research team is now planning on researching ways to prevent obese women from having miscarriages and how to lower the infant mortality rate.
Although the risks are greater for obese women Dr Ruth Bell also states, “I want to reassure mothers that it is uncommon for fetal and infant deaths to occur—most women deliver healthy babies despite what weight they are.”
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