OBESITY IN PREGNANCY

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), obesity is defined as ‘excessive and abnormal fat accumulation that poses a risk for health’. Historically, obesity has been recognised as an important public health problem. Obesity maintains its importance due to its effects on physical and mental health and is also important for health professionals because it is associated with mortality and morbidity. In reproductive aged-women, apart from difficulties in achieving pregnancy and early pregnancy loss, it is known to increase the risk of preterm labour, complications of diabetes and hypertension, and morbidity related to delivery and infections. Because of the adverse pregnancy outcomes associated with obesity, it is important that patients are counselled before pregnancy, during pregnancy and in the postpartum period. The importance of even a small weight loss should be emphasised frequently as the rates of severe morbidity and mortality increase with increasing BMI. Obese patients should be informed that the effectiveness of chromosomal screening tests decreases. Pregnant women with a BMI of 30 or higher should undergo early screening for diabetes to enable timely diagnosis and manage-ment. Patients should be encouraged to perform moderate and appropriate exercise during pregnancy In obese patients, venous thromboembolism risk scoring should be performed during pregnancy and postpartum period and appropriate prophylaxis should be applied. In the period between pregnancies, weight loss should be encouraged. Similarly, it is very important to provide breastfeeding counselling and encourage breastfeeding after delivery. Patients should be made aware of the negative effects of obesity on general health and should be advised to lose weight in the postnatal period. Considering the prevalence of obesity, it should be evaluated as a pandemic, should be approached holistically, and trainings for health professionals should be increased to ensure that progress can be made with preventive medicine practices. It should not be forgotten that one out of every 8 people in the world lives with obesity.