More than 60per cent of women are overweight or obese when pregnant which greatly increases risk to themselves and their baby.
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A conference held at the University of Canberra on Friday was dedicated to the growing problem of overweight mothers and the unique issues they encounter during pregnancy and labour. Professor of Midwifery, Deborah Davis, said, ''Women who are overweight or obese are likely to suffer from a range of problems including hypertension, diabetes, increased instances of stillbirths, and babies with congenital abnormalities,'' she said.
Overweight women are also more likely to have large babies, those being over 4kg, which can cause problems in labour for mother and child.
''There are increased emergency caesarean sections as large babies obstruct the process.'' Professor Davis said.