Obesity and child defects

Recent studies in 1997 shows that pregnant women who are obese have a large percentage of developing babies with birth defects. Obesity in a person can cause several complication to the person itself and when a woman is conceiving, the baby in the womb likely to have complications too. Some of the pregnancy complications are: spina bifida, heart defects, genital and bowel abnormalities and small or missing digits, arms or legs.

Spina bifida. Spina bifida as wikipedia defines is a developmental birth defect involving the neural tube: incomplete closure of the embryonic neural tube results in an incompletely formed spinal cord. In addition, the vertebrae overlying the open portion of the spinal cord may not fully form and remain unfused and open. This allows the abnormal portion of the spinal cord to stick out through the opening in the bones. There may or may not be a fluid filled sac surrounding the open spinal cord.

Heart defects. One of the heart defects that can manifest with the obesity problems of the mother that can result in pregnancy complications is congenital heart disease.

Other pregnancy complications are seen physically are stunted limbs, cleft lip and palate and bowel problems like a congenital malformation of the anal opening.

It is suggested that obese mothers should regularly consult their physicians to minimize and address these pregnancy complications due to obesity.