1. Obesity and Obstetrics
Chris Griffin
Consultant Obstetrician
KEMH

2. The baby is the fruit of the love
between me and my future
husband who is slimmer, weighing
just 70 kilograms

3. 266 kgs and triplets
worse than octomom?

4. Questions
• Risk to Baby
• How much weight gain in pregnancy
• What are the other high risk factors
• How to lose weight or not gain weight in pregnancy
• Effects of weight loss surgery
• What extra surveillance is needed
• Link between obesity and pre eclampsia – not known may be
inflamatory
• Management of insulin resistance – metformin but testicular size?
• Ultrasound imaging
• Who to refer to in pregnancy
• What causes increased risks with obesity
• Bariatric surgery

5. Risk to Fetus
• ACOG statement
• Autism – 50% increase
• Developmental delays 150% increase
• NTD, cleft lip and palate and cardiac

6. Dietary restriction in Pregnancy
• BMJ May2012 Metanalysis
• 4 kgs loss with calorie restricted diet
• < 1 kgs on exercise alone
• 1 kgs on exercise and diet
• Diet restriction appeared to be associated with a reduction in
pregnancy complications but too much heterogeneity to offer
advice to women
• Bottom line is that it appears safe to maintain pre pregnancy
weight or lose weight in pregnancy but with a healthy dietary
approach and not one of starvation as increased risk for NTD
and Cl Palate as well as a lower birth weight and intrauterine
fetal stress

7. Target weight management chart

10. What can the GP offer
• Target weight management
• Exercise plans
• Dietary
• Online programs
• Psychological support
• Referral to appropriate personnel
• 25% of maternity staff do not feel they have the capa
• Probiotics

11. Probiotics
• lactobacillus
• Double blind placebo controlled study
• 256 first trimester randomisation
• Diet and probiotics had a third the
incidence of GDM in the probiotic group

12. Human studies
• Two groups of beneficial bacteria are dominant
in the human gut, the Bacteroidetes and the
Firmicutes.
• The relative proportion of Bacteroidetes is
decreased in obese people by comparison with
lean people, and that this proportion increases
with weight loss on two types of low-calorie diet.
• Our findings indicate that obesity has a microbial
component, which might have potential
therapeutic implications.

13. Bariatrics
• No RCT studies as yet in pregnancy for manag
• Pregnancy does not have a long term negative

14. Cocchrane RCT List
• Computerised weight loss programs
• Psychological support
• Interventions to change GP management
• Gastric Band Management
• Surgery non pregnant