Obesity 'can harm pregnant women'

My Account
Logout

Create an Evening Standard Account

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Welcome! Sign in here

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Forgot your password ?

Registration

* indicates fields that are mandatory

Email *

Password *

Confirm Password *

First name *

Surname *

Postcode *

Country *

Mobile phone number

Username *

Gender *

Year of birth *

When you sign up...

You will have access to all our online competitions, discounted offers and can post comments on our site.

You will also receive The Weekender newsletter sent every Thursday - it’s full of fantastic offers and ideas for the weekend. You can update your email preferences in your account page when you log in.

Other newsletters and emails

Homes & Property Newsletter - Yes I want to receive the weekly email with all the latest news on property in the capital

Occasionally we would also like to send you relevant emails detailing specific offers either from ourselves or carefully selected partners. If you would prefer not to receive these then please tick the appropriate boxes below. We will never pass on your details.

I do not want to receive additional offers and information from the Evening Standard

I do not want to receive additional offers and information sent by Evening Standard on behalf of carefully selected partners

Terms and Conditions

* I have read, understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of Evening Standard

Registration

Mail Sent for Registration Confirmation.

A confirmation email has been sent. Please activate your account by clicking on the activation link sent in your mail box.

A new report showed that more than half of women who die in pregnancy or shortly after birth are overweight or obese.

These women are putting themselves and their babies at risk of complications that could lead to death, the study warned.

The latest report from the Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health (CEMACH) also called for better communication between staff to cut down the number of avoidable deaths due to other causes.

CEMACH is planning to carry out a national enquiry into obesity in pregnancy as a result of its concerns about the impact on mothers and babies.

Obese pregnant women are more at risk of dying, suffering heart disease, miscarriage, diabetes, infections and thromboembolism, where clots block a vessel elsewhere in the body.

Babies born to obese mothers are more likely to be stillborn, to suffer abnormalities and to be premature.

The study focused on the number of women dying during pregnancy, after miscarriage, birth and after an abortion or ectopic pregnancy, for the three year period 2003/05.

Although the death rate has not changed significantly since 2000, it has risen by around 40% since 1985/87, the study showed.

In 1985/87, the death rate was almost 10 per 100,000 women, rising to almost 14 per 100,000 in 2003/05. The total number of women who died in 1985/87 was 223, rising to 295 in 2003/05.