Concern over town’s obese mums-to-be

9:10am Monday 16th August 2010

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THE number of pregnant women in Bolton who are dangerously overweight and putting their unborn babies at risk is on the rise.

Now health chiefs are looking into how they can get more pregnant women to exercise to tackle what they say is a ”growing problem”

And they have revealed they are also planning to help obese women to lose weight after pregnancy.

Cathy Atherton, interim head of midwifery at the Royal Bolton Hospital, said: “It is a massive problem nationally, not just in Bolton, especially over the last few years and it can be fatal for women and their babies.

“If women are obese during pregnancy it puts extra strain on their bodies and can make labour more difficult.

there are also risks for the baby.”

Obesity in pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth and damage to the baby.

It can also cause difficulties in labour, excessive bleeding following birth, wound infections, pre-eclampsia which causes symptoms including high-blood pressure and can lead to serious complications, gestational diabetes (a form of the disease which develops during pregnancy) and blood clots.

new figures from the Royal Bolton Hospital show that in 2009/10 more than 700 pregnant women had a Body Mass Index of more than 30, making them obese.

almost 100 others were classed as morbidly obese, with a BMI of more than 40.

that was out of a total 4,607 new mums.

And the percentage of mums-to-be at risk because of their weight has been rising in Bolton in recent years.

In 2007/08 there were more pregnancies — 4,650 — but fewer of them were obese, 662, while only 60 were classed as morbidly obese.

Currently all mums-to-be under the care of the Royal Bolton have their BMI checked at around 12 weeks.

if they are found to be overweight, staff from the maternity unit give them help and advice.

Ms Atherton said “We offer all pregnant women advice on diet and lifestyle, following Department of Health guidelines.

“We identify women with a high BMI early on and give them extra assistance.”

The hospital is now working with the Royal Oldham Hospital and the University of Manchester looking at supporting pregnant women to exercise, Ms Atherton said.

Many women do not feel they should be as physically active when pregnant but the NHS advises them to exercise, depending on their fitness level and condition.

The trust is also working with NHS Bolton, the primary care trust which oversees local health services, to look at monitoring women for the full nine months and continuing to tackle their weight after their babies are born.

Ms Atherton said: “We’re working on this at the moment.”

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