Pre-Pregnancy Obesity Linked to Higher Risk of Newborn Death: Study

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Over 1.9 billion adults aged 18 and above are overweight, and among them, 600 million people globally are affected by obesity, the World Health Organization reports.

In 2013, there were about 42 million children aged five and below who were reported to be overweight or obese. In the United States alone, more than two thirds of the adult population are either obese or overweight, and more than one-third are obese, as per the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. According to WHO, women were more likely to be obese than men, and about 32% of women aged 20 to 39 are obese.

A new study published in the journal "Obstetrics and Gynecology" highlights the dangers of obesity to pregnancy. According to Healthday, researchers have found that pre-pregnancy obesity was linked to an increased risk of death for the infant. While these findings seem alarming, researchers noted that the study is not a cause-and-effect study.

Eugene Declercq of Boston University School of Public Health, lead author, together with his team of researchers, analyzed data from over than 6 million newborns across 38 states from 2012 to 2013, including information about the children's mother's height and pre-pregnancy weight, which was needed to determine their body mass index (BMI). Eurekalert reports that the study authors determined three major categories in infant mortality rate: infants who died because of preterm-related causes, congenital anomalies, and sudden unexpected infant death.

Researchers found that preterm-related death rates increased in children whose mothers had higher BMIs, and deaths caused by congenital anomalies and sudden infant death were also higher among babies whose mothers were obese. After controlling for demographic and medical risk factors, results showed that the risk of infant death was 32% higher among babies whose mothers were in the obese I category, and 73% higher for those in the obese III category. According to the CDC, obesity is categorized into three, wherein class I is when one's BMI is between 30 to 34, while class II is when one's BMI is 35 to 39, and class III is when one's BMI is 40 or above.

Declercq pointed out that these study findings highlight the importance of addressing the issue of obesity even before pregnancy, and additional research to find out the relationship between pre-pregnancy obesity and at-risk infant health.

"The findings suggest that primary care clinicians, ob-gyns and midwives need to have conversations about weight as part of well-woman care, and when women are contemplating getting pregnant," Declerq said in a news release.

News Medical reports that in 2009, the Institute of Medicine released a set of guidelines for pregnant women, recommending a weight gain of 11 to 20 pounds for women whose pre-pregnancy BMI fell within the obese range. However, researchers found that most of these mothers do not follow such recommendations.

"These findings suggest that 60-75 percent of mothers aren't following the guidelines—and even when they do, adherence does little to lower infant mortality," Declercq explained.