Pregnant obese women face birth risks [news]
Australian and New Zealand pregnant women who weigh more than 140 kilograms are at greater risk of complications including gestational diabetes and caesarean section deliveries, new figures show. These women have a body mass index greater than 50 or weigh more than 140 kilograms. A healthy adult BMI is between 20 and 25.
The figures, to be presented today at the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists conference in Perth, showed extremely morbidly obese women were twice as likely to require a caesarean delivery than other pregnant women.