Pregnant mothers have been warned against obesity because the condition could mean health problems for babies after birth, such as high blood pressure, asthma and bacterial infections.
Dr Catherine Thornton warned of bad diet and weight problems among new mothers, which could cause mothers' and babies' tissues to inflame.
Dr Thornton, a senior lecturer in newborn immunity at the Institute of Life Science at Swansea University, said obesity brought a bigger risk of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and respiratory problems.
She said a higher body mass index in a mother was linked to a higher rise of early-onset Group B streptococcus infection and respiratory tract infections.
"There are serious concerns with the number of obese women and the impact of that on the delivery of obstetric services," Dr Thornton said in the Western Mail.
"There are lots of diseases that used to be prevalent in adults, that we are now finding in paediatric populations."
Copyright Press Association 2012
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