Does Obesity In Mother Affect Health Of The Baby?

Proper mental and physical health of the mother is essential to ensure the good health of the baby. When pregnant or trying to conceive, there are various factors that must be checked and kept in control to reduce the risk of health issues in the baby.

Obesity is one of the most common chronic diseases. Due to its commonality, obesity may be ignored as an issue. In this article, we discuss if obesity in a mother can affect the health of the baby. We also discuss how it may affect foetal health and how to manage these complications.

Can obesity in a mother affect the health of the baby?

The simple answer is yes. Obesity in mothers has proven to affect their and the baby's health. Obesity similar to diabetes, cholesterol, high bp, and other disorders can affect one's health significantly. Being the host, the foetal health completely relies on the mother. Lack of proper mental and physical health can cause complications to the health of the baby at birth and throughout life.

How can obesity in mothers affect foetal health

There are various ways through which obesity in itself affects the health of the mother. These factors then constitute to affecting the health of the baby. Here are some common ways through which obesity in mothers can affect foetal health.

1. Increase risk of stillbirth

Obesity in the mother may be fatal to the health of the baby in some cases. In most cases of stillbirth, mothers have been recorded to be obese.

2. Premature birth

Premature birth refers to early deliveries. Deliveries 2-3 weeks before the expected delivery date might reduce the amount of time the baby needs in the womb to develop properly.

3. Larger size at birth

Obese mothers are prone to giving birth to infants that are larger than average babies. This condition is known as macrosomia.

4. Birth defects

Infants born to obese women are prone to defects at birth. Obesity in mothers might affect the shape and functionality not different parts of the infant's body.

5. Prone to chronic diseases

Babies born to obese mothers are prone to developing chronic diseases at birth. Infants with obese mothers might even develop chronic diseases later in life. They are prone to diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, etc.

How can these complications be avoided?

The ideal way to avoid these foetal complications is to manage health as a mother. If you are trying to conceive, we advise you to lose weight. Obesity in the mother not only affects the health of the baby but also the mother.

Here are some simple ways through which you can avoid these complications:

1. Eat healthy foods rich in nutrients.

2. Avoid unhealthy foods such as fried, junk, and ultra-processed foods.

3. Workout at least 5 times a week.

4. Maintain a healthy weight.

5. Avoid alcohol as it slows down weight loss and might affect the health of your organs.

6. Quit smoking as it causes irreversible and serious damage to various organs of our bodies.

7. Get regular full-body checkups. It can help you navigate abnormalities at an early stage.

8. Talk to your doctor regularly. They can navigate you through your weight loss journey. 

9. Pay attention to your mental health. Losing weight and trying to conceive, both require healthy mental health.

In conclusion, prevention is better than cure. Taking preventive and corrective measures can help you avoid these risks altogether. A healthy body and lifestyle of the mother significantly reduce complications at birth. Furthermore, healthy mothers reduce the risk of their children developing diseases later in their life.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.