Nearly one fifth of women are obese from the beginning of their pregnancy, according to new research.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) found 16% of pregnant women in England are overweight (with a BMI of 30 or above) while half of women who are of childbearing age are either obese or overweight (with a BMI of 25-29.9).
The health watchdog has now issued new guidance on weight management before, during and following pregnancy in a bid to reduce the "epidemic" being seen by health professionals in obesity among pregnant women.
Professor Lucilla Poston, director of maternal and fetal research at King's College London, said that obese women were at increased risk of "almost every complication in the book in pregnancy". She added that now 40% of women attending ante-natal classes in London are obese.
Prof Poston continued: "These guidelines are incredibly timely, we have an epidemic of obesity amongst our pregnant population."
Copyright Press Association 2010
