Little is being done to help obese mothers-to-be, despite the dangers for both mother and the baby, it has been claimed.
Dr Nicola Heslehurst, from Teesside University’s Health and Social Care Institute, led a team of academics from the universities of Teesside, Newcastle and Durham, which examined the provision of clinical and support services for obese pregnant women.
Although maternal obesity has more than doubled over the last two decades – with one in six pregnant women now facing extra risks to themselves and their babies – very little is being done to support women.
More than half the women who die in pregnancy or childbirth are obese or overweight and being seriously overweight increases the likelihood of conditions such as cardiac disease, diabetes and pre-eclampsia and can be a contributing factor in stillbirth, congenital anomalies and prematurity.
“Despite the potential risks, there is no strategic public information campaign,” said Dr Heslehurst.
Her study found that obesity levels across the country ranged from just over 13 per cent in London to nearly 22 per cent in the West Midlands.
“Once obese women become pregnant there are still things they can do to minimise the potential for complications for themselves and their babies, such as healthy eating and moderate levels of physical activity,” says Dr Heslehurst, whose study is published in the journal Midwifery.
Researchers, funded by Public Health North East, found improvements to obesity services at North East maternity units over the last four years, including more suitable equipment such as sturdier beds and operating tables.
However, the lack of services to help mothers tackle their weight problems had still not been addressed, and there was a lack of partnership working between public health and maternity services.
“Mothers were being told they were putting their babies at risk and were then left to deal with it themselves, largely due to a lack of national guidelines for this type of advice and support for women,” says Dr Heslehurst.
“The lack of weight management services and weight gain guidance made it difficult for midwives to discuss obesity with women during pregnancy.”
Dr Heslehurst said there was an urgent need for obesity training for midwives and better communication between the public health and maternity services.
Heslehurst, N., Rankin, J., Wilkinson, J.R., Summerbell, C.D. (2010) A Nationally Representative Study of Maternal Obesity in England, UK: Trends in Incidence and Demographic Inequalities in 619 323 Births, 1989-2007. International Journal of Obesity; 34: 420-428
Heslehurst, N., Moore, H., Rankin, J., Ells, L.J., Wilkinson, J.R., Summerbell, C.D. How can maternity services be developed to effectively address maternal obesity? A qualitative study Midwifery 2010 advance online publication, doi: 10.1016/j.midw.2010.01.007
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