Mexico Surgery Weight Loss - Weight Loss Surgery Reduces Pregnancy Problems
Weight loss surgery before pregnancy can help prevent the complications of pregnancy for obese women.
. Obese women are much more likely to develop complications during pregnancy, such as high pressure or pre-eclampsia, which increases the risk of premature birth and child death.
In a new study, the researchers found that obese women who had weight loss surgery before getting pregnant were 75% less likely to have high pressure pregnancy complications than women who had surgery after pregnancy .
The researchers say that about one third of women of reproductive age in the US are obese, defined as having a body mass index (BMI, a weight measurement in relation to height above 30, and 6% -8 % are morbid obese, with an IMC above 40.
For many of these women, weight loss surgery, such as gastric bypass, is an effective weight loss option. But researchers say little is known about the impact of weight loss surgery on the risk of complications of pregnancy.
In the study, published in the British Medical Journal, researchers compared the risk of high pressure pregnancy complications in 585 obese women aged between 16 and 48 years, who had weight loss surgery before or after the pregnancy of 2002 to 2006.
Of these women, 269 had weight loss surgery before delivery and 316 had surgery after childbirth. Gastric bypass was the choice of weight loss surgery for the majority (82%) of women.
The results showed that almost 15% of women who delivered before weight loss surgery had pre-eclampsia or eclampsia (the final preset stage if not treated) compared to about 3% of women who had Surgery before delivery.
Obese women who had weight loss surgery before pregnancy were 80% less likely to develop pre-eclampsia and eclampsia during pregnancy, and the risk of other complications related to blood pressure was also lower.
These lower rates of pregnancy complications were still evident after adjusting the mother's age in delivery, multiple pregnancy (twins or more), type of weight loss surgery, pre-existing diabetes and type of health insurance.
Researcher Wendy L. Bennett, an assistant professor at the Medical School of Johns Hopkins University, and colleagues say the results suggest that weight loss surgery should be considered for fertile age women with a BMI of 40 or More or an IMC of 35 or more with associated health problems.
In addition, they say that more studies are needed to examine the long-term maternal and child health after pregnancies and deliveries after weight loss surgery.
