Obesity, Weight-loss Surgery and Pregnancy

Does a pregnant mom’s health affect her baby? Simply put, yes. And one of the most common health problems these days are obesity and obesity related diseases such as heart disease. New research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that a mother’s obesity while pregnant may increase her baby’s risk of heart disease. 

Not only did the research show effects of obesity, but also the effects weight-loss surgery had on the unborn baby.  Marie-Claude Vohl, a professor at Laval University in Quebec City, examined the genetic makeup of 50 children who were born to 20 mothers before and after they underwent gastric bypass surgery. Researchers suspected that the genes of children born after weight-loss surgery would act differently than those born before, and they were right. Children born to mothers before weight-loss surgery weighed more, had greater waist and hip girth and had poorer metabolic health compared to their siblings. Children born after weight-loss surgery had better fasting insulin levels and lower blood pressure. This research is not definitive but has sparked a lot of interest and opens the door toward greater understanding of genes and weight.

So if you are planning to start a family, start your child’s health out right by taking care of yours first. To learn more about possible weight-loss options attend a free weight-loss surgery information session hosted by FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital Bariatric Center on the first Thursday and the third Monday of the month.

FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospitals Bariatric Center offers weight-loss treatment and support to patients in the Pinehurst, Raeford, Sanford, Lumberton, Laurinburg, Troy, and Rockingham regions of North Carolina.