We all know pregnant women shouldn't smoke, now new research shows that too much weight may also deliver serious consequences for Moms-to-be and their babies. In a huge new study of more than 1.5 million births in Sweden, overweight and obese mothers were found to be at increased risk for preterm delivery.
A normal pregnancy lasts 40 weeks. Preterm delivery is defined as a baby born before 37 weeks, which puts the newborn at risk for serious health problems even death. Among the deliveries tracked:
- 3,082 were extremely early.
- 6,893 were very preterm. and
- 67,059 were moderately preterm.
Factoring in the mother's body mass index in early pregnancy, the data showed that the risk for all three types of preterm delivery increased with BMI and that overweight and obesity-related risks were highest for extremely preterm outcomes.
The researchers say while their study was conducted in Sweden, it has significant relevance for the United States where a sizeable group of women are becoming pregnant at very high BMIs.
I'm Dr. Cindy Haines of HealthDay TV, with the news your doctors are reading; health news that matters to you.
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