Overweight pregnancies can increase risk of birth defects: study
According to the studys results, pregnant women should be encouraged to attain a healthy lifestyle.
(Web Desk) – A recently conducted study published on Wednesday in the BMJ medical journal says that overweight to-be moms carry an immense risk of causing harm to their child as chances of major birth defects are likely to be increased.
According to the study’s results, women should be encouraged to attain a healthy lifestyle during pregnancy and should have a moderate body weight before being impregnated. The researchers led by Martina Persson, a researcher in the clinical epidemiology unit at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, also recommended that the pregnant women should avoid eating foods that are likely to raise their blood pressure and blood sugar levels.This study basically expands on previous knowledge of the topic.
For the purpose of research, Persson and her colleagues analyzed data on more than 1.2 million live births, excluding twins and other multiples, in Sweden between 2001 and 2014. For the purpose of study, the limits of being underweight, ideally weighed and overweighed were defined beforehand.
Being underweight was defined as having a body mass index of less than 18.5. Normal weight ranged from BMI 18.5 to 24, while overweight ranged from BMI 25 to 29. Obesity among the mothers was categorized as either class I, a BMI of 30 to 34, class II, a BMI of 35 to 39, or class III, a BMI of 40 or higher.
A total of 43,550 of the infants, approximately 3.5%, had a major congenital malformation, the researchers found when looking at the medical records. Heart defects were the most common birth defect, followed by flaws in the genital organs, limbs, urinary system, digestive system and nervous system.
The researchers further recommended that whilst planning a family, the overall health of the parents especially the mother, must be taken into account. In her research, Persson stated that men should "encourage women in reproductive age to strive towards a normal BMI before conception."
