Obesity Linked to Increased Odds of Losing Baby, Study Finds

Women who are overweight or obese when they get pregnant may be at increased risk for miscarriage, stillbirth or infant death, researchers say.

The danger is greatest for severely obese women, who appear to have about double or triple the risk of losing their baby, although that risk is still small, the study authors noted.

The findings, based on a review of previously published studies, underscore the need for women who plan pregnancy to try to maintain a healthy weight, the researchers suggested.

"As for women who are already pregnant, they should follow existing guidelines for weight gain during pregnancy," said lead author Dagfinn Aune, from the department of epidemiology and biostatistics in the School of Public Health at Imperial College London in England.

"This analysis gives a better picture of the strength of the risks," said Aune. "Although fetal and infant deaths are relatively rare in high-income countries, affecting about 0.5 percent of pregnancies, they are devastating for the parents that are affected."

Moreover, overwhelming data shows that being overweight or obese increases the risk for type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, high blood pressure and birth defects, Aune said.

"All of these conditions have been linked to increased stillbirth risk. Although we don't know all the details of the molecular mechanisms, I think it's likely that there is a biological effect of excess weight on these outcomes," he said.  http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_145693.html