Overweight and Obesity Linked to Major Pregnancy Complications: Swedish Study Warns

New Delhi: A comprehensive Swedish study has found that more than half of gestational diabetes cases, along with several other severe pregnancy complications, are directly attributable to overweight and obesity.

Published in The Lancet Public Health, the population-based study analysed nearly 2 million pregnancies in Sweden between 2000 and 2020, offering crucial insights into how pre-pregnancy body weight significantly affects maternal and infant health outcomes.

The researchers revealed that maintaining a normal body weight before pregnancy could prevent up to 52% of gestational diabetes cases, a condition characterized by elevated blood sugar levels during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes is a common complication that can have lasting effects, including increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes for both mother and child later in life.

In addition to gestational diabetes, the study linked overweight and obesity to various other adverse pregnancy outcomes.

The findings show that excess body weight was responsible for 36.9% of large-for-gestational-age infants, 26.5% of pre-eclampsia cases, and 12.7% of infant mortality.

Pre-eclampsia, a condition marked by high blood pressure during pregnancy, can lead to severe complications for both mother and baby if not properly managed.

“Overweight and obesity are major contributors to complications during pregnancy. This study underscores the importance of interventions aimed at promoting healthy body weight among women of childbearing age,” said Dr Pontus Henriksson from Linköping University, the study's lead author. “Reducing excess weight could significantly lower the risk of these complications.”

The study also highlighted regional differences in the impact of obesity on pregnancy outcomes, particularly among women born in sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.

These populations exhibited a higher prevalence of gestational diabetes due to elevated obesity rates, underscoring the need for targeted public health interventions in these groups.

The authors stress that weight management before pregnancy is critical for reducing the burden of pregnancy complications. Public health authorities are urged to prioritize educational and preventive initiatives, particularly in high-risk populations, to improve maternal and infant health outcomes.

This large-scale research reinforces the need for global awareness and strategic interventions, as obesity rates continue to rise, posing significant risks to both maternal and child health.