Obese and Overweight Women Have a Higher Risk of Giving Birth to Baby with Heart Defects

The largest study of obesity during pregnancy and babies with heart defects in the United States finds that women who were overweight or obese before they became pregnant had an approximately 18 percent increased risk of having a baby with certain heart defects compared with women who were of normal body mass index (BMI) before they became pregnant. Severely obese women had approximately a 30 percent increased risk, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The study, “Association Between Prepregnancy Body Mass Index and Congenital Heart Defects,” published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, found a significant increase in several types of heart defects in babies born to overweight and obese women, compared to babies born to normal weight women.

These included obstructive defects on the right side of the heart, and defects in the tissue that separates the two upper chambers of the heart.

Obesity and overweight were determined based on the study’s participants’ BMIs. A BMI is a measure of weight in relation to height. Overweight is defined as a BMI of 25-29.9, moderate obesity is defined as a BMI 30-34.9, and severe obesity is defined as a BMI of 35 or higher. For example, a woman who is 5 feet, 5 inches tall and weighs 190 pounds has a BMI of 31.6 which places her in the moderate obesity category; a woman of that same height who weighs 160 pounds has a BMI of 26.6 which places her in the overweight category.

“Congenital heart defects are the most common types of birth defect, and among all birth defects, they are a leading cause of illness, death, and medical expenditures,” said Dr. Edwin Trevathan, director of the CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. “Women who are obese and who are planning a pregnancy could benefit by working with their physicians to achieve a healthy weight before pregnancy.”

The study looked at 25 types of heart defects and found associations with obesity for 10 of them. Five of these 10 types were also associated with being overweight before pregnancy. Women who were overweight but not obese had approximately a 15 percent increased risk of delivering a baby with certain heart defects.

The study accounted for several important factors such as maternal age and race-ethnicity. Mothers with type 1 or 2 diabetes before they got pregnant, a strong risk factor for heart defects, were excluded from the study.

“These results support previous studies, as well as provide additional evidence, that there is an association between a woman being overweight or obese before pregnancy and certain types of heart defects,” said Suzanne Gilboa, epidemiologist at CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, and primary author of the study. “This provides another reason for women to maintain a healthy weight. In addition to the impact on a woman’s own health and the known pregnancy complications associated with maternal obesity, the baby’s health could be at risk.”

One important limitation of the study is that BMI is calculated based on self-reported weight and height, and weight may be underreported by women during the study interview. Although the study found an association between overweight and obesity and the risk of certain birth defects, further study is needed to determine whether body weight is the direct cause of these birth defects.

The analysis included 6,440 infants with congenital heart defects and 5,673 infants without birth defects whose mothers were interviewed as part of the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS). The NBDPS is funded by the CDC to collect information from mothers of children with and without birth defects in Arkansas, California, Georgia, Iowa, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Texas, and Utah. This study is the largest effort ever undertaken in the United States to identify risk factors for birth defects.

For more information about heart and other birth defects please call toll free 1-800-CDC-INFO or visit http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd.

Source: CDC

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7 Ways to Maintain Weight Loss

7 Ways to Maintain Weight Loss
by Melanie Thomassian

I've noticed recently some of the posters on Diet-Blog Share have been asking about how to maintain weight loss.

There's no doubt about it, despite the large amount of books and other resources available these days, the big problem most people seem to have isn't with losing weight, but maintaining weight loss.

However, it's also true to say there are plenty out there who have been successful at long-term weight loss.

So, what's their secret?

I'm sure you can add heaps to this post--please do I'd love to hear your ideas--these are a few of my suggestions...
How to Maintain Weight Loss

1. Start Small
Think about your current lifestyle, then decide on one or two healthier habits you could add into your life. Remember, they ought to be things you can maintain long-term.

Perhaps you could begin by simply having a healthy breakfast every day, or maybe you could determine that you will only eat when you're hungry and when sitting at the dinner table. Whatever you choose, keep your goals small initially, then add to them as you move forward.

2. Keep a Journal
This tip has probably been repeated so often that it washes straight over your heard, but it's a really important one. In fact, many people find it to be the single most important thing that helped them gain control of their weight.

If you haven't tried it, perhaps now would be a good time to give journalling a go. You'll want to note down everything you eat, including details of the time, place, cooking methods, and portion size, etc. You could also record your weight weekly in there, and perhaps make a note of any emotional eating, if this is a problem for you too.

3. Don't "Diet"
Don't you hate the word diet? I know I do! The very term itself has such negative connotations.

A fancy weight loss diet isn't necessary for weight loss. In fact, you'd probably do a lot better if you just stopped dieting, and instead focused on eating fresh, whole foods most of the time.

The problem with maintaining your weight loss on a "diet," is that most of them don't teach you what to do after you've lost the weight, they're all about the short-term weight loss.

Also, be realistic about what you want to achieve. This is something else I've noticed again and again in the recent Share posts--people want to lose too much weight too quickly. So, try not to set yourself up for a big fall by saying, "I want to lose 30 pounds in two weeks!" Disappointment will sabotage your weight loss efforts, set realistic goals instead.

4. Try a Portable Motivator
This could be an image of you at your heaviest/lightest/fittest--whatever works best for you.

The idea is that it will motivate you to continue. So, if you begin to notice your resolve slipping a little pull out your portable motivator, and remind yourself of what you're aiming for.

5. Stick With It
Successful losers will tell you it gets easier with time.

Studies show that people who have successfully maintained their weight loss for 2-5 years have a much better chance of longer-term success. I know 2-5 years seems like a long time, but weight loss is about change for life, so take it in small baby steps, and you'll get there.

According to the The National Weight Control Registry, successful losers have reported engaging in:


* High levels of physical activity (approximately 1 hour per day)

* Eating a low-calorie, low-fat diet

* Eating breakfast regularly

* Self-monitoring weight

* Maintaining a consistent eating pattern across weekdays and weekends

6. Address Weight Gain Early
How many times have you started dieting, been doing really well, then all of a sudden--BANG--you're back to square one. What on earth happened?

Usually, it's the result of not monitoring how you're doing consistently, so you don't notice things going off a little. To avoid this make sure you keep a consistent check on things, and put the brakes on any weight gain before it gets out of hand again.

7. Take Regular Exercise
Despite Time Magazine's recent bunk article, the fact remains that those who continue with some kind of exercise routine are much more likely to maintain their weight loss.

Check out Mike's article debunking "Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin," and also "How to Make Exercise Work for Your Fat Loss."

If you've successfully lost weight and maintained that loss, what tips would you share with the others on Diet-Blog who struggle with this issue?

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