0
0
A groundbreaking study published in The Lancet Public Health highlights the critical role of body weight in pregnancy complications, affecting women in Sweden regardless of their country of birth. The research, conducted by a collaborative team from Linköping University and Karolinska Institutet, offers vital insights into how overweight and obesity contribute to pregnancy and childbirth risks, both for Swedish-born women and those who have migrated to the country.
This is the first study of its kind to explore these risks across different populations in Sweden, shedding light on health inequalities during pregnancy and childbirth.
Inequalities in Maternal Health
In Sweden, and other high-income nations, there are notable disparities in maternal health outcomes between migrant and native-born women. According to the study, women who have migrated to Sweden, particularly from certain regions, are more likely to experience serious pregnancy complications. These include gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and preterm birth. Researchers believe that many factors could contribute to this inequality, with body weight emerging as a key variable.
“We know that overweight and obesity are linked to many complications during pregnancy and childbirth for women born in Sweden,” says Pontus Henriksson, senior associate professor at the Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences at Linköping University, who led the study. “We wanted to investigate whether the inequalities in pregnancy complications between women born in different countries can to some extent be explained by differences in body weight.”
The Impact of Overweight and Obesity
Using data from nearly two million pregnancies in Sweden from 2000 to 2020, the researchers examined how maternal body mass index (BMI) influenced pregnancy outcomes across eight key complications. These complications ranged from gestational diabetes and preeclampsia to infant mortality and preterm birth.
The findings revealed that overweight and obesity had a significant impact, particularly on gestational diabetes. The researchers estimate that around 50% of gestational diabetes cases could potentially be prevented if women maintained a normal weight before pregnancy. This finding was consistent across both Swedish-born and foreign-born women.
“A healthy weight is good for everyone,” says Henriksson. “The earlier in life the better, because once obesity is established, it is difficult to treat.”
A Complex Picture
Despite the significant link between overweight and certain complications, such as gestational diabetes, the researchers found that body weight did not affect all pregnancy risks equally. For example, being underweight in early pregnancy surprisingly did not contribute to many of the complications studied. Additionally, some factors influencing health inequalities—like healthcare quality, migration stress, and communication barriers—were beyond the scope of the study and will require further investigation.
Co-author and PhD student at Linköping University, Maryam Shirvanifar, emphasizes the potential of promoting a healthy weight to improve outcomes for all women. “Efforts to promote a healthy weight could help prevent many complications, no matter where in the world women were born.”
Path to Future Research
Although the study offers valuable insights, the researchers acknowledge its limitations. Socioeconomic data was considered, but other health determinants like healthcare access, treatment quality, and lifestyle factors specific to migrant populations remain to be explored.
The research was supported by the Swedish Research Council and marks a significant step toward understanding the complex relationship between body weight and maternal health, highlighting the urgent need for public health interventions aimed at promoting healthy weight among women of reproductive age.
Key Findings at a Glance:
- Nearly 2 million pregnancies from 2000 to 2020 were analyzed.
- Overweight and obesity significantly increased the risk of pregnancy complications, especially gestational diabetes.
- About half of gestational diabetes cases could be prevented if women maintained a normal weight before pregnancy.
- Underweight did not significantly contribute to the complications studied.
- Further research is needed to explore factors like healthcare access, communication barriers, and stress linked to migration.
This study underscores the importance of weight management in maternal health and paves the way for further research to address health inequalities in pregnancy.
