Obese Women More Likely to Give Birth via C-Section

Maintaining a healthy weight before and after conceiving helps avoid cesarean birth, researchers say.

To analyze the link between obesity and giving birth via C-section, Dr. Nils-Halvdan Morken from the University of Bergen in Norway and colleagues looked at more than 50,400 women, part of the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa).

The findings of the study, reported in the journal of Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, found women with a pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) of 40 or gaining more than 30 lbs (16 kg) during pregnancy at higher risks of C-section, forceps or vacuum extraction birth, compared to women with a healthy weight before and during pregnancy.

"Our study examines pre-pregnancy BMI and gestational weight gain on the mothers' risk of operative delivery," lead author of the study Dr. Morken said in a news release. "With such alarming rates of obesity understanding its impact is an important health issue, particularly for women in child-bearing years."

A body mass index (BMI) of 19 to 25 is considered to be the ideal weight for conceiving. A healthy body and optimum weight during pregnancy is crucial for having a smooth pregnancy and delivering a healthy child. However, one-third of women of childbearing age and one in five pregnant women in the United States are obese.

Health experts recommend women to go for vaginal birth to avoid many hidden risks associated with surgical delivery. According to them, apart from the risks, recovery after giving birth takes longer for C-section compared to natural birth.  In the United States, one in every four women gives birth to babies via C-section. Many adopt C-section due to complications, however, the number of women who adopt it for convenience and for fear of the natural birth process are also not less.

Previous studies have shown C-section having a negative impact on children - increasing the risks of childhood obesity, affecting the child's intelligence levels and increasing the risks of allergies in offspring.