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UK Wedding News

12/06/2013

Babies' Lives At Risk 'Because Of Obese Mothers'

A new study has warned that babies' lives in Britian are being put at risk due to the increasing number of overweight women.

The study, which has been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, also revealed that obesity levels in the UK are now catching up those in the US.

Experts warned that babies born to women who are overweight, are also more likely to be born prematurely, increasing the likelihood of serious illness and even death.

Between 1992 and 2010, a study of 1.5 million births in Sweden found the danger of early delivery increased proportionally with the mother's weight.

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Women with the highest body mass index (BMI) were also found to have the highest statistical risk of giving birth prematurely, especially extremely early. When compared to women of normal size, an extremely premature birth was 25% more likely for overweight women, and 60% more likely for obese women.

For mothers who are severely obese, that is with a BMI between 35 and 39.9 or extremely obese (a BMI of 40 or more), the corresponding risk was doubled and tripled respectively.

The risk of 'very' and 'moderately' preterm deliveries also increased with BMI.

The published report also revealed that an alarming three in five adults are now classed as overweight or obese, with experts believing this could be a possible explanation for the 40,000 babies born prematurely each year.

Professor Sven Cnattingius, of the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, explained: "For the individual woman who is overweight or obese, the risk of an extremely preterm delivery is still small.

"However, these findings are important from a population perspective. Preterm infants and, above all, extremely preterm infants account for a substantial fraction of infant mortality and morbidity in high income countries."

(JP/CD)

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"A new study has warned that babies' lives in Britian are being put at risk due to the increasing number of overweight women."