Obesity in Pregnancy Tied to

Cerebral Palsy Risk

But study authors stress that a cause-and-effect link wasn't proven
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By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, March 7, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Women
who are overweight or obese during pregnancy may be
increasing the chances that their baby could be born with
cerebral palsy, a new study suggests.
Researchers looked at information on more than 1 million
children born to Swedish women who were followed for
nearly eight years.
"The overall risk of cerebral palsy was about 2 cases per
1,000 babies born," said lead researcher Dr. Eduardo
Villamor, a professor of epidemiology at the University of
Michigan in Ann Arbor. "Women with the most severe
forms of obesity who have babies born at full term may
have about twice that risk."
Moreover, the prevalence of cerebral palsy has increased
in children born at full term, he noted.
However, Villamor stressed that the study findings only
show an association between a woman's weight during
pregnancy and the risk of cerebral palsy, not that
maternal obesity causes the condition.
"Although the effect of maternal obesity on cerebral palsy
may seem small compared with other risk factors, the
association is of public health relevance due to the large
proportion of women who are overweight or obese
worldwide," Villamor said.
Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that affect the
ability to move and maintain balance and posture. It's the
most common motor disability in childhood. The condition
is caused by abnormal brain development or damage to
the developing brain that affects the ability to control
muscles, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention.
Many people with cerebral palsy also have other health
problems, such as intellectual disability, seizures, issues
with vision, hearing or speech, changes in the spine, or
joint problems.
Overweight and obesity in early pregnancy may increase
the risk for a number of complications and can adversely
affect the health of mothers and children, Villamor said.
Some studies suggest that weight loss before
pregnancy may decrease some of these risks, he said.
"Although we don't know yet if this also applies to
cerebral palsy, weight loss before pregnancy among
overweight and obese women may offer some health
benefits during and after pregnancy," Villamor said.