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Dr. Carrie Jones
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Fat, Pregnant, And Heart Defects: Are You Putting Your Baby At Risk?

Imagine you just found out you’re pregnant. You start your prenatal vitamins, stop drinking alcohol, and start eating healthier “for the baby.” But what about the ‘you’ pre-baby? New research states that overweight or obese mothers are 18% more likely to deliver babies with heart defects and 30% more likely if they are severely obese.

Among all birth defects, heart defects are the leading cause of illness, death, and costly medical expenses. Much like folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects; a healthy weight pre-conception will reduce the risk of heart problems.

The study used a traditional body mass index (BMI) chart which depends on two factors, your height and weight. Overweight is defined as a BMI of 25 – 29.9. Obese is 30-34.9 and severely obese is over 35.

As an example, a 5’6” woman weighing 167 pounds has a BMI of 27 or ‘overweight.’ If that same woman weighed 192 pounds her BMI would increase to 31 putting her into the obese category. A severely obese 5’6” woman would weigh 230 pounds as her BMI would be 37.

The study encouraged women to get down to a healthy weight pre-pregnancy to reduce the risk of heart defects (among other things) through diet and exercise.

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