overweight moms are/have:
- 4 x more likely to get gestational diabetes
- 2 x as likely to have high blood pressure (increased blood clots, stoke, death)
- higher chance of C-section (18% instead of 11%)
- babies 2 x more likely to have spina bifida, 0.3 x as much heart defects
2/3 maternal deaths in US are related to complications from obesity.
While it’s not entirely clear how a woman’s weight before conception may impact her baby’s brain, Helderman says the leading theory involves inflammation. Excess weight can keep levels of potentially destructive immune cells high; these are the cells that rush to the site of trauma to clear away debris. Studies show that inflammation can adversely affect the brain, and it’s possible that an expectant mom’s heightened inflammatory response could filter through to her developing baby.
Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2012/03/12/how-moms-weight-before-pregnancy-can-affect-a-babys-brain/#ixzz2RyxIBgzs
Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2012/03/12/how-moms-weight-before-pregnancy-can-affect-a-babys-brain/#ixzz2RyxIBgzs
