Many women worry about how much weight they’ll gain when they’re pregnant. A new study, however, is focusing on a woman’s pre-conception weight and its impact on both fertility and maintaining a successful pregnancy.
According to the study, women who are obese are 28 percent less likely to conceive and have a successful pregnancy. Those who were overweight were 14 percent less likely to have a successful pregnancy.
Researcher Barbara Luke of Michigan State University looked at the data of nearly 50,000 women who tried assisted reproductive technology such as IVF to get pregnant. A woman’s body mass index (BMI) was used to compare pregnancy rates.
“The results are not surprising; obesity is a state of inflammation and is not a good environment for conception or fetal development," Luke said. "The key message is to lose weight, prior to conception, and focus on pre-conception health issues.”
Once pregnant, Luke found that women who were either obese or overweight were at higher risk for complications. For example, the odds of stillbirth were twice as high for women who were obese compared to those with a normal BMI. The risk of giving birth prematurely also increased in obese women.
"If you are thinking about starting a family, get into the best physical shape possible," Luke said. "Control the factors you can - such as drinking alcohol and smoking - and remember, body weight is just as important."
Read more about this story by clicking here.
If this article was of interest to you, you may also want to read Are cigarettes sending your chances of getting pregnant up in smoke?
Check back soon or subscribe to Liz Taylor’s email alerts above for updates and similar stories. (Your email address will not be shared.)
Comments