Maternal Obesity: Health Impacts and Care

Abstract

Introduction: Obesity represents a significant public health issue, with a consistently rising prevalence among women globally. In the United States, around 40% of women are identified as obese, with almost 10% considered severely obese, underscoring the scale of this problem and its significant effects on women’s health throughout all phases of the childbearing cycle, including pregnancy, labor, and postpartum recovery. As a result, obesity is a major worldwide health issue, impacting maternal and neonatal results.Obesity negatively impacts women’s health. Pregnant women with obesity face a higher likelihood of experiencing several pregnancy related complications, including gestational hypertension, urinary tract infections, gestational diabetes mellitus, and preterm birth. Obesity during labor is linked to an elevated risk of labor dystocia and surgical procedures, leading to higher cesarean section rates. These elements lead to an increased risk of complications during and after delivery, such as postpartum hemorrhage, infections at the surgical site, and slow wound healing. Moreover, maternal obesity has been demonstrated to adversely impact lactogenesis and milk production, thus creating difficulties for effective breastfeeding. Conclusions: This article aims to review and synthesize the impacts of obesity on women during pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period. It also proposes comprehensive care guidelines to effectively promote maternal and infant health, including the effects on breastfeeding. Emphasis is placed on essential care, which includes assessing nutritional status and body mass index (BMI) before pregnancy, controlling weight gain during pregnancy, closely monitoring obstetric complications, providing appropriate care during labor, as well as providing continuous monitoring and counseling in the postpartum period. These measures aim to increase breastfeeding success in mothers with obesity.