Obesity is one of the most frequent causes for complications during the pregnancy.
If the BMI of the mother during her pregnancy is greater than 25 units, then the mother is considered as obese.
According to the studies, obesity doubles your chances of having a baby with neural tube defects.
Even if you take enough amounts of folic acid; it does not protect you against the increase in risk.
Obese women can experience greater number of complications when compared to the women who are normal weight. Most of the times, the babies born to obese women are more likely to be admitted to neonatal (newborn) intensive care units.
Factors which lead to obesity during pregnancy include:
- Weight of the mother at the beginning of the pregnancy
- Genetic factors
- The placenta size
- Amount of amniotic fluid
- Mothers’ liquid retention
- High calorie intake during pregnancy
- Avoiding physical activity
- Weight of the baby
If you are an obese woman, then you have greater tendency to get affected with two very serious diseases. They include: arterial hypertension and the other is diabetes mellitus.
It is very difficult to observe the baby through ultrasonography, if you have excessive body fat.
Complications for the mother due to obesity during pregnancy:
- Excessive body fat makes it much difficult to do diagnostic amniocentesis.
- Obesity raises the risk of infertility and some other pregnancy related complications like blood clots, hypertension, and gestational diabetes.
- Obesity during pregnancy leads to cesarean section. For an obese woman, labor is relatively slow and delayed thus increasing the chance of cesarean delivery.
- Obesity results in preeclampsia. It is a condition which causes fluid retention, high blood pressure, and inflammation during pregnancy. If serious eclampsia is noted, then it can lead to placental blood flow, thus endangering your baby.
- Infection can spread to you and your baby very easily.
- Obesity causes gestational diabetes. It restricts your body from breaking down sugar and can lead your baby to gain too much weight in the uterus.
- You will suffer from urinary tract infection.
- Obesity during pregnancy can also make it very difficult for you to experience the postpartum recovery. Women who have cesarean section are much more prone to develop postpartum infections.
Complications for the baby due to obesity during pregnancy:
Obesity during pregnancy can lead to more number of difficulties for your baby. They include:
Macrosoma: It is a condition in which your baby gains too much weight during pregnancy. This makes it more difficult for labor and delivery thus making it more complicated for the baby to enter and exit the birth canal. If the baby is very large, then there is a chance for the shoulders to get injured during the birth. This condition is called as shoulder dystonia.
Childhood obesity: Babies born to obese women are more likely to suffer from obesity in their later life.
Neural tube defects: Anencephaly and spina bifida are the most common neural tube defects. These conditions are due to the low levels of folic acid during the first trimester.
So, to come out from these most difficult conditions, you need to take some precautions. Lose weight before planning for pregnancy, practice regular workouts and check your weight frequently. They help you to control your weight for some extent.
