Pregnant women who are obese double their odds of having a baby with spina bifida or other neural tube defects, researchers say.
Maternal obesity also increases the risk of heart defects, cleft lip and palate, hydrocephaly (fluid on the brain), abnormal rectum or anus development and other congenital abnormalities, an analysis of several studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association yesterday found.
While the absolute risk increase is likely to be small, the data adds to the range of maternal, neonatal and obstetric complications that are strongly linked with obesity.
"This has health implications, particularly given the continued rise in the prevalence of obesity in many countries," the researchers from the University of Newcastle in England wrote.
Obstetric experts say governments should be focusing anti-obesity campaigns on women of child-bearing age.
The Royal Society of Medicine said women thinking about trying for a baby need to check their own weight first and seek help if they are overweight or obese before they conceive.
"We've had warnings on cigarette packets telling us that smoking can harm the unborn baby as well as the mother. But there seems to be little effort made to warn mothers about the risk obesity poses," said Professor Philip Steer, president of the society's obstetrics and gynaecology section.
Undiagnosed diabetes and nutritional deficiencies such as reduced levels of folate may potentially explain the observations, the researchers said. In addition, ultrasound scanning tends to be more difficult in obese women, resulting in fewer abortions for foetal anomalies.
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