A recent study from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston reported that women who were severely obese during pregnancy but lost weight have healthier babies. Obesity poses several risks both to the mother and baby.
There are 78.6 million people living in the United States who are struggling with their body weight, making obesity an epidemic in the country. Around 34 percent of reproductive-aged women in the United States are obese, with 19 percent of them morbidly obese.
Comparing 85 healthy pregnant women to 82 severely obese pregnant women, the study reveals that obese mothers had more medical problems. Obese mothers are more prone to preeclampsia, infections, gestational diabetes, insulin use, cesarean sections and even loss of pregnancy. Obese mothers also experience more complications such as stillbirth, prematurity, neonatal trauma or excessively large-sized babies.
The study, set to be published in the journal Clinical Obesity, claimed that 26 percent of the 82 severely obese women who maintained or lost weight during pregnant experienced lower medical expenses and had healthy babies. Researchers obtained the data by studying 2215 medical records of women who delivered at the university.
Consequently, healthy mothers also constitute to lower healthcare costs due to the expenses associated with medical complications and longer hospital stays. Neonatal intensive care made up of 78 percent of the hospital costs in obese women who gained weight during their pregnancy, according to The Raw Food World. Medical charges including hospital and physician expenses were 37 percent higher for obese mothers and their infants compared to non-obese mothers and children.
Many caregivers in prenatal clinics are advising pregnant women on nutrition and exercise by providing them with written educational materials, according to Science Daily. Experts suggest keeping a food diary to keep track of food cravings to assure proper diet and nutrition.
Exercising by doing low impact workouts such as aerobics, walking or swimming will also be extremely healthy for both pregnant moms and babies. However, more research is needed to fully assess an infant's health risks when an obese pregnant woman maintains or loses weight during pregnancy, according to Dr. David McCormick, clinical professor of pediatric in the Division of General Academic Pediatrics at the university.
