Obese mothers are risking the health of their babies - they are
more likely to have miscarriages and give birth to malformed
babies, according to new Australian research. Sydney
gynaecologist Andrew Zuschman, who studied the pregnancy
outcomes of obese women between June 2008 and July 2009, also
found that nearly half of overweight women give birth by
caesarean section, often weeks before the child is due. One in
four babies born to obese women weighed more than 4kg and their
weight - and that of their mothers - could cause problems during
the birth, according to Zuschman. Zuschman explained that the
shoulders of large babies could get stuck in the birth canal,
brining about a dip in the baby’s oxygen levels and leaving them
with injuries or nerve problems. “Women in this body mass index
category [greater than 30kg/m2] really should be meeting their
family doctor before they become pregnant and discussing all of
these implications,” news.com.au quoted Zuschman, as saying.