Mom's Obesity Linked With Birth Defects

[one...two...tree 2,762]

(CHICAGO) — Obese and overweight women face significantly increased risks of having babies with heart abnormalities and other birth defects, according to a government study.

Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said their study also confirmed an already reported link between pre-pregnancy obesity yand neural tube birth defects including spina bifida.

The links between weight and other defects, including debilitating heart problems, have been less well established, the researchers said.

Compared with normal-weight women, those who were obese or overweight before pregnancy faced double the risk of having babies with heart defects and double the risk of multiple birth defects, the study said.

"This is yet another adverse health outcome associated with overweight and obesity and people need to know that," said CDC epidemiologist Margaret Watkins. "Obesity prevention efforts are needed to increase the number of women who are at a healthy weight before they become pregnant."

Watkins said normally 3 to 5 percent of infants are born with major birth defects.

Obese women faced an even higher risk — more than triple that of normal-sized women — of having babies with a defect known as omphalocele, in which intestines or other abdominal organs protrude through the navel.

The study was released today in May's editions of the journal Pediatrics.

Reasons for the links are uncertain, but may include nutritional deficits in women with poor eating habits or diabetes, which is common in obesity and is known to increase risks for birth defects, according to the research team led by Watkins.

It also may be that obese women have increased but sometimes unmet needs for nutrients such as folic acid that can protect against some birth defects, the researchers said.

"Although the biological mechanism(s) behind obesity and birth defects is unknown, efforts to ensure that reproductive-aged women are of healthy weight before pregnancy should not await the elucidation of the mechanisms," they wrote.

The authors examined data from births in a five-county area of metropolitan Atlanta between January 1993 and August 1997. Researchers studied 645 infants with birth defects and 330 without in a case-controlled study.

Mothers were considered overweight if they had a body-mass index between 25 and 30, and obese if the index, a height-weight ratio, was 30 or higher.

Dr. Richard J. Deckelbaum, director of Columbia University's Institute of Human Nutrition, said being overweight and obese are reversible risk factors that can lead to better outcomes for babies and mothers.

"It's an underappreciated link between overweight and obesity before pregnancy and outcomes for the infant and even for the mother during pregnancy," Deckelbaum said.

http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1650332,00.html

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Reasons for the links are uncertain, but may include nutritional deficits in women with poor eating habits or diabetes, which is common in obesity and is known to increase risks for birth defects, according to the research team led by Watkins.

It also may be that obese women have increased but sometimes unmet needs for nutrients such as folic acid that can protect against some birth defects, the researchers said.

This seems to me like another one of those studies where they jump to conclusions which aren't based on the facts. If it turns out they find that, for instance, these women have an unmet need for folic acid, will we ever hear about it in the media? Obesity is the thing of the moment and media tends to latch on to things like this - it's rather pathetic.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Reasons for the links are uncertain, but may include nutritional deficits in women with poor eating habits or diabetes, which is common in obesity and is known to increase risks for birth defects, according to the research team led by Watkins.

It also may be that obese women have increased but sometimes unmet needs for nutrients such as folic acid that can protect against some birth defects, the researchers said.

This seems to me like another one of those studies where they jump to conclusions which aren't based on the facts. If it turns out they find that, for instance, these women have an unmet need for folic acid, will we ever hear about it in the media? Obesity is the thing of the moment and media tends to latch on to things like this - it's rather pathetic.

Good point. Obesity is a condition, not an affliction.

[KarenCee 3]

Seems like everyone is obsessed with obesity lately. Want something to blame for this condition or that condition? Blame obesity. Want to blame society's ills on something? Blame obesity. Just wondering...how many NORMAL babies are born to overweight women?

[L_n_O 3]

Mister Fancypants, your icon reminds me of the movie The Secretary. You should watch it if you haven't.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Mister Fancypants, your icon reminds me of the movie The Secretary. You should watch it if you haven't.

The one with Maggie Gyllenhal (sp)? Yes...very bizarre. James Spader has done a string of creepy films about kinky sex.

[no name 1]

Stop eating ####### & eat a balanced diet?

Edited August 7, 2007 by devilette

[Marilyn. 340]

that goes for everybody not just obese people.....

i know quite a few skinny people who eat ####### ... just because you are skinny doesn't mean you are healthy...

[no name 1]

that goes for everybody not just obese people.....

i know quite a few skinny people who eat ####### ... just because you are skinny doesn't mean you are healthy...

Sure but this article is about obese people.

[Marilyn. 340]

yeah but shouldn't this study be compared to how many skinny people have babies with birth defects?? maybe it isn't the obesity but the persons diet that causes birth defects...

Edited August 7, 2007 by MarilynP

[jundp 191]

that goes for everybody not just obese people.....

i know quite a few skinny people who eat ####### ... just because you are skinny doesn't mean you are healthy...

yeah but shouldn't this study be compared to how many skinny people have babies with birth defects?? maybe it isn't the obesity but the persons diet that causes birth defects...

I agree with this. I was about 15 to 20 pounds underweight when I got pregnant with my daughter. And I didn't have the healthiest diet ever Now (8 years later) I am probably 20 pounds over what is "ideal" for my height, but I am much much healthier than I was when I was thin.

I think many of these studies will find something and latch on to it, whether it's obesity, age, diabetes, etc. And I think that one can find a "study" to support whatever point you are trying to make. (Not directed at Fancypants, I know he just posts stuff for information's sake).

[L_n_O 3]

Mister Fancypants, your icon reminds me of the movie The Secretary. You should watch it if you haven't.

The one with Maggie Gyllenhal (sp)? Yes...very bizarre. James Spader has done a string of creepy films about kinky sex.

EXACTLY!

[chri'stina 190]

Seems like everyone is obsessed with obesity lately. Want something to blame for this condition or that condition? Blame obesity. Want to blame society's ills on something? Blame obesity. Just wondering...how many NORMAL babies are born to overweight women?

Exactly. I personally know overweight women who had very healthy babies.

I agree that not being overweight is better than being overweight, but I am overweight and the risks I face every pregnant woman faces.

Many birth defects are linked to a deficiency of folic acid, which the articles does mention, but that happens in any weight range not just for overweight people, especially if someone is not taking their prenatal vitamins. The most important time for folic acid is the first couple months of pregnancy.

And true, it's not just overweight or obese people who eat #######. I know thin people who eat a lot of #######. Not eating ####### is better for everyone, I agree with that of course, but the difference between a thin person and an obese person can sometimes be the difference of 1-2 extra snacks a day, built up over a long period of time.

An example:

"If you consumed 100 calories more per day than your body needs (the equivalent of 1 glass of juice or 2 small plain cookies), and consumed this small excess every single day, in 1 year you would have consumed 36,500 excess calories, enough to gain 10 pounds. In 3 years you would be 30 pounds overweight on just 100 extra calories per day. ...." And so on...(http://www.mindspring.com/~drwarren/obesity.htm)

So it doesn't mean the people are sitting around all day eating ####### who are overweight or obese, they are just eating a little more ####### than everyone else. Or they could be eating healthy but just too much of it. Some consider obese only 30lbs overweight...that's not really that much, think of a women who goes from 120lbs to 150lbs, they might not even look that big, not what you would think of as obese. Obese doesn't always mean 400lbs. Anyway that's my rant.

[Marilyn. 340]

I do eat unhealthy foods once in awhile but not often...

I don't drink a lot of soda, maybe one can a week, if that..... I drink mostly water.....

but I guess I would be considered obese according to my BMI....

ok that is not exactly what I wanted to say but I lost my train of thought

Edited August 7, 2007 by MarilynP

[chri'stina 190]

I do eat unhealthy foods once in awhile but not often...

I don't drink a lot of soda, maybe one can a week, if that..... I drink mostly water.....

but I guess I would be considered obese according to my BMI....

ok that is not exactly what I wanted to say but I lost my train of thought

I'm right there with you...if people looked up the BMI info, a lot more people would be obese than they think. Because we imagine obese as people who weigh over 300lbs, not as most of us walking around with extra meat on our bones.