Mom's obesity tied to higher infant mortality

BEIJING, Feb. 2 -- Research shows that babies born to

obese mothers are at increased risk for dying, particularly in the first weeks

of life, compared to babies born to normal-weight mothers.

Given high infant mortality rates in the U.S. as

compared to other developed nations, the researchers say, if the results are

confirmed, "obesity prevention should be explored as a measure to reduce infant

mortality."

Obese pregnant women are known to be at greater risk

of fetal death, while there is also some evidence that death rates are higher

among babies born to obese women, according to Dr. Aimin Chen of Creighton

University School of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska and colleagues.

To investigate the relationship in more detail, the

researchers compared records for 4,265 babies who died in infancy and 7,293

surviving babies, using data from the 1988 National Maternal and Infant Health

Survey.

Among the infants that died, 8.8 percent had obese

mothers, compared to 5.9 percent of surviving infants. Babies born to obese

women were at greater risk of death in their first year, and were also more

likely to die in their first 28 days of life than infants born to normal-weight

women.

While risk was increased for obese women no matter

how much weight they gained, infant mortality was greatest among women who

gained the most weight (0.45 kilogram or one pound and up each week), who were

at nearly triple the risk of infant death. Risk was the second-highest for the

obese women who gained the least weight (less than 0.15 kg or 0.33 pound a

week), who were at 1.75 times greater risk of infant death.

A similar pattern was seen among overweight women,

with those who gained the most weight and those who gained the least at highest

risk.

A mother's pre-pregnancy body mass index had the

greatest influence on neonatal death. Deaths due to complications of pregnancy,

labor and delivery as well as problems related to preterm birth or low birth

weight were higher among infants born to all obese women, no matter how much

weight a woman gained in pregnancy; however, increased risk of death due to

respiratory problems, birth defects, and SIDS was only seen for the obese women

in the highest weight-gain category.

One problem with their study, Chen and colleagues

point out, is that the data is "old;" since 1988, the prevalence of obesity and

the average amount of weight women gain during pregnancy has increased, while

infant morality rates have dropped by around 20 percent. However, they note,

deaths related to prematurity or low birth weight have not seen declined and may

even be on the rise, "which may be related to increasing obesity and infertility

treatment."

(Source: chinadail.com.cn/Agencies)