What are the risks of obesity in pregnancy?

Obesity is a complex endocrine condition with serious complications not only for the metabolism but also for the whole body. In pregnancy, obesity negatively affects both the mother and the foetus, but also the adult life of the child who will be born macrosomal. The most common complications of obesity are:

IMMEDIATE COMPLICATIONS

  • Miscarriage
  • Stillbirth
  • Pre-eclampsia
  • Gestational diabetes
  • Congenital anomalies
  • Caesarean section
  • Thromboembolism
  • Increased surgical morbidity
  • Macrosomia
  • Shoulder Dystocia

LONG-TERM COMPLICATIONS

  • Obesity in adolescence and adult life
  • Metabolic syndrome in adolescence and adult life
  • Diabetes in adolescence and adult life
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How should obesity in pregnancy be treated?

As the above complications are mainly related to the mother’s weight before pregnancy, obese women should lose the excess weight before becoming pregnant and therefore ideally the pregnancy should be planned.

The endocrinologist should determine the ideal weight gain for each woman by the end of pregnancy, depending on her pre-pregnancy BMI.

Depending on the situation and needs, a diet and exercise program is designed and followed, based on the daily calorie needs of each woman.

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