Tuesday 27 December 2016

Ultrasound in the management of obesity in pregnancy

Obesity during pregnancy can cause various health problems for a baby that include-


1-Macrosomia- Women who are obese are at the increasing risk of delivering an infant baby who is significantly larger than the average baby and has more body fat than the usual. It has been suggested in the research that as the birth weight increases, so does the risk of childhood obesity.

2-Chronic conditions- Being obese during pregnancy might increase the risk that your baby will develop heart disease or diabetes when he/she grows as an adult.

3-Birth defects- According to the research and report of Max Mongelli, obesity during pregnancy slightly increases the risk of having a baby who’s born with a congenital disability.

The pre-pregnancy weight of women and BMI, as well as the health, and child’s health, all of them play a role in determining how much weight you need to gain during the pregnancy. Ask your health care provider to determine what’s best in your case and also to manage the weight throughout the pregnancy.

Some general guidelines that you should know for pregnancy weight gain and obesity:

1-Single pregnancy- If you are obese and carrying one baby, recommended weight gain is 11 to 20 pounds that are about 5 to 9 kilograms.

2-Multiple pregnancy- If you are overweight and carrying twins or multiples, recommended weight gain is 25 to 42 pounds that are about 11 to 19 kg.

Some research suggests that women who are obese can safely gain less weight than the guidelines recommended. Rather than gaining or weight losing, your health care provider will ask you to focus on avoiding weight gain during the pregnancy.

If you are obese, then your healthcare provider will closely monitor your pregnancy. Depending on that, health care provider might recommend:

1-Early testing for gestational diabetes- A screening test called the glucose challenge test is often done between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy.

2-Fetal echo cardiography- This is a test that provides a detailed picture of your baby’s heart between 22 and 24 weeks of gestation. The test is used to rule out or confirm a congenital heart defect.

3-Delayed fetal ultrasound- It is typically done between 18 and 20 weeks of pregnancy to evaluate a baby’s growth and development.

Obesity can increase the risk of complications. To ease the anxiety, work closely with your healthcare provider.