Mom weight linked to miscarriage

Obesity in pregnancy linked to miscarriage

A new European study suggests that obese women with a history of unexplained recurrent miscarriage have a higher risk of a further miscarriage than normal weight women do. Researchers are recommending that pregnant women who are obese should be counseled to help them understand how losing weight could benefit their babies - but other experts have expressed doubts, as there are also risks associated with losing weight in pregnancy.

The links between miscarriage and maternal obesity have been noted in previous research, and obesity is also associated with reduced fertility and increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, this is the first study to look at recurrent unexplained miscarriage.

It followed 398 women who’d attended hospital for unexplained miscarriages between 1996 and 2006. The women were grouped according to their body mass index (BMI, which is a relation of weight to height, with a score of 25 being considered overweight and a score of 30 and over considered obese). In all, 34% of the women were overweight and 16% were obese. The obese women were found to have a significantly higher risk of miscarriage, while those women who were overweight or underweight according to their BMI did not have a raised risk.

There has been some debate among obstetricians about the amount of weight women are advised to gain during pregnancy, given that more women are overweight and obese now than when weight guidelines were issued. Some experts suggest that overweight and obese women should aim to put on less weight than those women whose BMI is in the normal range and that the heaviest women should try to avoid weight gain or try to lose excess pounds. Others state that while overweight and obese women should try to lose weight before becoming pregnant, attempting to do so during pregnancy could cause problems. 

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