HYDERABAD: Having a body mass index of 30 or higher is considered to be obese. Being obese might increase the risk of various pregnancy complications:Infection: Obesity is sure to increase the risk of infections during and after pregnancy. The chances of Urinary Tract Infection is very high in women who face such a problem. Chances of postnatal infections is also high, whether the baby was delivered vaginally or through C-section.
Gestational Diabetes: This is a type of diabetes that is diagnosed during pregnancy. Obese women are most likely to get gestational diabetes than women with normal weight. This condition can also increase the risk of having Ceaserean delivery. Preeclampsia: It is a condition where you have a high blood pressure disorder that can occur during pregnancy and after pregnancy. A condition like preeclampsia can not only cause seizures but also can affect the entire body causing the entire kidney and liver to fail.
C-section: Overweight women have longer labour as opposed to women with normal weight. The fact that it is hard to monitor the baby during pregnancy, they are likely to go through a Ceaserian delivery. If a woman gives birth through Ceaserean her chances of getting infections, bleeding and other complications are greater compared to someone with normal weight.
Preterm: This means that the baby is delivered early due to medical reasons mostly due to preeclampsia. Preterm babies are not fully developed, as a result may have many health complications.
Sleep Apnea: Sleep Apnea is a condition in which a person stops breathing for short periods during sleep. This condition is mostly been associated with the ones with obesity.
This can also cause increase in blood pressure and fatigue during pregnancy. Losing weight before getting pregnant is the best way to reduce the risk of problems caused by obesity. Planning healthy meals, getting your dose of regular exercise can improve your overall health and pave the way for a healthier pregnancy.
(Dr Rekha Jaiswal is General Surgeona at Apollo Cradle )