Pregnant women should pay more attention to their diet during pregnancy. Eating too much can easily lead to obesity, which not only affects their own health but also the health of the fetus. So, pregnant women should understand the adverse effects of obesity on the fetus in order to better control their weight. So, what are the effects of maternal obesity on the fetus?
1. Increase the likelihood of difficult childbirth
Due to the accumulation of pelvic fat, the available space in the pelvic cavity is reduced, and the incidence of macrosomia is also increased, which increases the chances of difficult childbirth. Additionally, it can increase the difficulty of surgical or delivery procedures, as well as the incidence of postpartum hemorrhage and postpartum infection.
2. Increase the incidence and mortality rate of perinatal diseases
Due to difficult delivery, it can cause intracranial hemorrhage, fractures, brachial plexus nerve damage, fetal distress, neonatal asphyxia or death in newborns. A new study in Canada found that for every one point increase in the body mass index (weight/height squared) of women before pregnancy, there is a 16% higher chance of giving birth to obese children. Obese pregnant women are more likely to give birth to malformed babies, with a 20% -50% increase in the risk of congenital heart disease, limb abnormalities, and anal atresia. Obese pregnant women put too much pressure on the fetal spine, making the fetus more susceptible to spina bifida or other neural tube defects.
3. Affects fetal intelligence
Children of obese mothers have an average IQ 5 points lower than children of other mothers with normal weight. Swedish scientists also claim that if mothers are too obese, their offspring are more susceptible to ADHD.
4. Easy miscarriage
It is understood that obesity in pregnant women during the early stages of pregnancy can often lead to the occurrence of gestational hypertension and the risk of developing pregnancy toxemia. This greatly affects the development and growth of fetuses and newborns. Moreover, statistics show that the miscarriage rate of obese pregnant women is 8.7%, while the miscarriage rate of pregnant women with normal weight is 2.1%. Therefore, expectant mothers must pay attention to dietary regulation during pregnancy to prevent the occurrence of gestational obesity.
What are the effects of maternal obesity on the fetus? If pregnant women are obese, there are many adverse effects on the fetus, such as miscarriage, difficult delivery, affecting fetal intelligence, causing various diseases, and even leading to fetal death. Therefore, for the sake of fetal health and smooth delivery, pregnant women must control their weight.
