July 17, 2009 Expectant mothers who are obese are much more
likely to suffer from minor complications such as heart burn and
chest infections during pregnancy, a study suggests. Research by
the University of Edinburgh found that obese mothers-to-be were
nearly 10 times more likely to suffer from chest infections, and
more than twice as likely to suffer from headaches and
heartburn, compared with pregnant women of a healthy weight.
Researchers studied the records of more than 650 pregnant women,
of whom nearly half were overweight or obese at the beginning of
their pregnancy. The study took into account factors such as age
and smoking. Obese pregnant women were three times more likely
to have carpal tunnel syndrome, which occurs when an increase in
fluid causes swelling in the wrist. The condition can lead to
tingling, pain, numbness and lack of coordination in the hands.
The study, published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and
Gynaecology, also found that obese women had a more than three-
fold increased