Fetal complications of Obesity – Taking positive Precautions
Fetal complications of Obesity does not discriminate between the mother and the baby both are at risk and a lasting solution is needed immediately
Not again shall we let our mothers die of conditions we can manage and correct, obesity prevalence is a health condition you and I have the power of controlling. Our people are dying because of lack of knowledge and this article is meat to correct that. Take for instance the numerous complication reported in various health institutions globally, a very good portion of them is directly associated to excessive weight and obesity. Why am I saying this, maternal obesity is associated with an increased risk for perinatal mortality and occurrence of genetic disorders. The most common complications for the fetus include:
- Intrauterine death
- Genetic disorders
- Macrosomia
In the long term, large for gestational age (LGA) neonates of obese or diabetic mothers are prone to development of childhood obesity and metabolic syndrome in their adult life.
How painful it is for us to be losing mother who are only trying to give bundles of joy to the society because of weight related complications? It has been established that fetal death constitutes a dramatic development of any pregnancy this even becomes more painful especially when it takes place in late pregnancy. The understanding of this is that by this we shall have lost two lives that of the mother and the baby. In some studies it has been established that an up to five-fold increase in intrauterine death as well as increased infant mortality rate has been recorded in obese women. The findings also indicate that there is a strong relationship between maternal BMI and infant mortality rate. The question I ask is why must this take place when we have professionals who can fix the situation? If you dint know then call doctor Akoury an expert of over two decades in weight related conditions and she will greatly help you get out of this precarious condition.
Prenatal screening for congenital anomalies becomes challenging in obese women because of difficulty of interpreting blood serum indices alongside the inability to display the fetal anatomy on the ultra-sonogram. These difficulties could be the indicators explaining the increased incidence of congenital anomalies in fetuses of obese women. Nevertheless, there are data supporting an actual association between maternal obesity and genetic disorders. Specifically, the fetuses of obese mothers have a higher risk of developing abnormalities of the neural tube, as for example spinal bifida, cardiovascular abnormalities, as well as abnormalities of the abdominal wall such as omphalocele. These abnormalities are more prevalent in offspring of women with type 2 diabetes and folic acid deficiency, disorders that often coexist with obesity. Finally, maternal obesity results in an increased admission rate of the offspring to the neonatal intensive care unit.
- The relationship between maternal obesity and fetal Macrosomia has been established by many studies. Maternal weight and insulin resistance before pregnancy affect fetal growth, as is reflected in the birth weight.
- Obesity and insulin resistance alter placental function which, during the last weeks of pregnancy, increases the availability of glucose, free fatty acids and amino acids to the fetus. Thus, maternal hyperglycemia induces fetal hyperglycemia and, as a consequence, hypertrophy/hyperplasia of the fetal pancreas and hyperinsulinemia.
- Insulin has a direct effect on cell division that leads to macrosomia. Therefore, women with diabetes are at high risk of delivering macrosomic babies.
- Obese women even with normal glucose tolerance have a two-fold higher risk of giving birth to macrosomic babies since both conditions are independently correlated to macrosomia.
- Given that the incidence of obesity is approximately ten-fold that of gestational diabetes, it is evident that maternal lifestyle exerts a great influence on the incidence of fetal macrosomia.
- Once more this brings in quantitative relationship between maternal BMI and the risk of delivering a macrosomic/LGA neonate.
- Macrosomia, as well as maternal height and weight, gestational age and number of prior deliveries, are considered reliable predictors of the risk of obstetrical events, such as shoulder dystocia and injury of the branchial plexus.
Long-term complications
There is considerable evidence that the complications of maternal obesity extend beyond intrauterine and neonatal life into childhood and adulthood, thus leading to serious lifelong health problems. Maternal obesity constitutes a risk for childhood obesity, irrespective of birth weight and of smoking during pregnancy, as well as a risk for the appearance of the metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease in adulthood.
There are a large number of pathophysiologic mechanisms that could explain the fact that obese mothers give birth to obese children. Genetic factors are undoubtedly responsible to a certain degree for the tendency of both mother and child to be overweight.
Besides that the impact of the environment is to be taken into account since mother and child typically share the same eating habits. Moreover, the increase in food intake during pregnancy has a quantitative effect on the fetus, promoting the development of adipose tissue.
Childhood and adolescent obesity exerts a long-lasting physical and psychological impact and increases population morbidity and mortality.
The increasing prevalence of maternal obesity before and during pregnancy results in a vicious circle of obesity in subsequent generations. Thus, obese mothers give birth to obese daughters, who have a higher risk of suffering from obesity and diabetes during their own pregnancies.
Developmental origin of adult disease
The abnormal development of the fetus results in increased morbidity during childhood, adolescence and adulthood, a phenomenon known as “fetal programming” or “developmental origin of adult disease”.
The fetal adjustment to the uterine environment leads to permanent changes in the phenotype (i.e. physical structure, physiology and metabolism) which might not be fully functional in extra-uterine conditions.
Finally the dangers associated with maternal obesity constitute a serious health risk for the mother and fetus, the intensity increases with the degree of obesity. A non-balanced diet during pregnancy contributes not only to abnormal fetal development and subsequently increased neonatal morbidity and mortality but also to increased morbidity during childhood, adolescence and adulthood. Therefore systematic effort for weight reduction is very necessary if we have to avoid transferring obesity from generation to generation this you can do by calling doctor Dalal Akoury a dedicated expert in reinstatement of complications related to obesity. Doctor Akoury founded AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center to help you out of situations like this. While at her office she will together with her team of experts focus on Neuroendocrine Restoration (NER) to reinstate normality through realization of the oneness of Spirit, Mind, and Body, Unifying the threesome into ONE. Remember that achieving this goal will result in a sharp decrease in fetal and neonatal morbidity and mortality and will improve the outcome of offspring and of future pregnancies.
Fetal complications of Obesity – Taking positive Precautions
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