Does obesity before pregnancy affect the fetus?

If you want to give birth to a healthy and smart baby, you must prepare well before pregnancy. So for obese mothers, what effect does obesity before pregnancy have on pregnancy? Does obesity before pregnancy have any effect on the fetus? What should I do if I am obese before pregnancy? The following editor will give you a detailed introduction.

Does obesity before pregnancy affect pregnancy?

Women who are obese before pregnancy are more likely to have complications during pregnancy and medical treatment, such as gestational diabetes, hypertension, preeclampsia, venous thrombosis, phlebitis, anemia, nephritis, gestational age exceeding 42 weeks, uterine weakness during delivery, and increased chances of dystocia and cesarean section. During cesarean section, common complications for obese women include heavy bleeding, prolonged surgery time, and increased chances of postoperative infection, especially for very obese people (body mass index greater than 40), who are very sensitive to respiratory depression caused by analgesic anesthetics.

Does obesity before pregnancy affect the fetus?

Obesity before pregnancy can lead to fetal malformations

Studies have found that women who are overweight before pregnancy are more likely to give birth to babies with neural tube defects. If they are overweight after pregnancy, the probability will increase to four times that of ordinary people. Not only that, the probability of suffering from various other malformations will increase: the possibility of heart malformations will double, and the probability of spina bifida in the fetus will triple. There are also some defects such as limbs and navel that are related to maternal obesity before pregnancy.

Fetal heart development and pre-pregnancy weight

According to researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, if a pregnant woman is overweight before pregnancy, her child is more likely to have heart problems than a normal child. For example, an obese pregnant woman will have a weaker body and lower resistance during pregnancy, so she is more likely to be infected, which can affect the heart development of the fetus.

What to do if you are obese before pregnancy

Control the amount of food intake: Obese pregnant women should control their food intake, especially the amount of sugary foods and foods with high fat content. The amount of rice, pasta and other foods that pregnant women eat every day should not exceed the daily standard supply. For animal foods, choose more meat with relatively low fat content, such as chicken, fish, shrimp, eggs, and milk, and correspondingly, choose less pork, beef, and mutton with relatively high fat content.

Balanced diet: Pregnant women can add some beans to their daily diet to ensure protein supply and control fat content. In addition, they should eat less fried foods, nuts and plant seeds, as these foods are also high in fat.

Increase the number of prenatal checkups: Since obese pregnant women are more susceptible to diseases and are at risk of premature birth and giving birth to large babies, they should pay more attention to prenatal checkups than ordinary pregnant women and the number of prenatal checkups can be appropriately increased.

Keep exercising: If a pregnant woman is obese, she can arrange a certain amount of exercise every day. Walking or swimming are both suitable exercises for pregnant women to lose weight.

Solutions to obesity before pregnancy

1. Eat a healthy diet

Eat healthy and scientific food every day and form good eating habits. First of all, you should maintain a balance of nutrients, and at the same time, it is best to avoid consuming too much calories to prevent more fat; secondly, you should make a good diet plan, and eat the staple food, fruits and vegetables properly every day; in addition, you should eat small meals frequently, and eat until you are 80% full at each meal, and don't eat too much; finally, chew slowly, try to chew the food into pieces, and eat slowly. At the same time, it is recommended to eat more foods with high fiber content but low fat content, and drink some light-tasting vegetable soup before eating, which can increase some satiety and reduce food intake.

2. Pay attention to exercise

You should exercise regularly, but the intensity should not be too high. Jogging, swimming, etc. are recommended. This type of exercise will increase the body's oxygen consumption. Within a few hours after exercise, the oxygen consumption will still be higher than when you are at rest. The most important thing is that this intensity of exercise can last longer.