Obesity vs Pregnancy
mybiglife, 20th April 2010
Obesity brings health risks, and this is no different for pregnant women. Obesity during pregnancy has impact not only on the woman but also on the unborn baby. This condition may also bring chronic diseases in the future.
Some research have been carried out to see if bariatric surgery has any impact on pregnancy. The results were very interesting: weight-loss surgery can reduce the risk of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy, including gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and eclampsia.
The study was carried out by Wendy L. Bennett, assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The aim of the research was to determine if bariatric surgery could prevent the development of these diseases.
585 women took part in the study: 269 delivered their babies before undergoing weight-loss surgery and 316 who had a surgery prior to conceiving.
The results showed that in 80% the risk of preeclampsia and eclampsia among women who had weight-loss surgery before becoming pregnant was reduced, as well as the risk of gestational hypertension reduced by 74% and the risk of chronic hypertension in pregnancy reduced by 61%.
The results of the study were published online in the British Medical Journal.
Dr. Bennett highlights that not every pregnant woman wants to undergo a weight-loss surgery, or is the right candidate for it, but the results of the research are interesting and worth considering for the future mothers and their babies.
