Fat pregnant women 'a burden on NHS'

Obese expectant mothers are having a "major impact" on the NHS due to increased risk of complications and the need for extra equipment and staff, according to research out today.

A study found that obese pregnant women need more one-to-one care, which can have an impact on waiting times for other patients.

Obese women are also more likely to need extra scans and tests, have more caesarean deliveries, need more specialist equipment and have less choice when it comes to giving birth than other women.

They suffer higher rates of infection and can need extra support with breastfeeding, and there are added risks for the baby, the study said.

A total of 16 maternity units in the North East were studied, with 33 heads of midwifery, midwives, obstetricians and other professionals taking part in interviews for the research.

The authors, from the Centre for Food, Physical Activity and Obesity Research at the University of Teesside, published their results in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

They said interviewees described maternal obesity as "having a major impact on service, specifically in relation to the level of care required, the cost and resource implications, complications and risk to the mother and infant".

The authors concluded: "Healthcare professionals caring for women in pregnancy feel that maternal obesity has major implications for service delivery.

"The impact relates to resources and cost implications, additional care requirements because of the complications that arise and the impact on the health of the mother and her infant, the restrictions in care options for the women, difficulties in carrying out certain procedures, and the impact on the psychological health of the mother.

"Some healthcare professionals feel that maternal obesity is a public health issue, and there is concern relating to the lack of national guidance on which to base local policy for the care of obese women in pregnancy."

Previous studies have concentrated on the effects of obesity on pregnant women but this research examines the impact on service delivery in the NHS.

The study noted that obese expectant mothers are at increased risk of high blood pressure and diabetes in pregnancy, while risks to the child include being born overweight and birth defects.

There are also more complications in labour and the need for more induced births and Caesareans, it said.

Health professionals told the researchers that issues over equipment most frequently involved scales with a too-low maximum weight limit, and theatre tables which could not take extra weight.

Some trolleys also "take the weight but not the girth", one head of midwifery said.

Another told how a lack of an operating table big enough for elective Caesareans meant those women were transferred to the gynaecology theatre list, which happened about twice a month.