Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Obesity & Pregnancy
Aired May 06, 2003 - 08:46 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: We are paging Dr. Gupta this morning about a new study that says women who are overweight before pregnancy run a much greater risk of having babies with birth defects. Sanjay's at the CNN Center to tell us more about this.
Boy, this is frightening, Sanjay.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: It really is. You know, you really can't do enough stories about obesity and overweight. Sixty percent of Americans now fall into one of those two categories, overweight or obesity. We do know that that's linked to all sorts of health problems -- heart disease, diabetes and stroke. As you mentioned, Heidi, now looking at overweight women of child-bearing age as well, 50 percent of women that fall into that category, overweight or obese, 50 percent of child-bearing age women.
We have long known there are sorts of potential birth complications from overweight or obese women giving birth, such as diabetes, things like that, prematurity of the baby as well.
Now there's a new study from the CDC that actually looked at 1,000 women over four years, and they found that there are a couple of other birth defects greater in number than previously believed. One is heart defects, twice the risk of heart defects, and others just twice the risk of what are called multiple birth defects, just more than one birth defect. The study confirmed something known as spina bifida, which was long been linked to a nutritional deficiency of folate is also linked to overweight or obese child-bearing age women.
So all three of these much higher numbers than previously believed.
But again, the big news, heart defects, twice the number, and twice the number of multiple birth defects in women who are overweight or obese of child-bearing age.
COLLINS: Quickly, Sanjay, let's talk about the ideal weight when you are pregnant.
GUPTA: Yes, you know, people say don't give any magic numbers when it comes to ideal weight, because that can be a little bit of a quagmire as well. There probably isn't one, but there are some rules to follow. A gradual weight gain is an important thing, two to four pound by the end of the 12th week, and then a pound or two every week after that. For a single pregnancy, 25 to 35 pound pounds for a normal weight woman. For a woman who is overweight, about 15 to 25 pounds, and a woman who is obese, probably 15 pounds only during the entire pregnancy. Obviously, those numbers go down.
Remember going on a diet not the right time to do that while you're pregnant, much more important to get to the ideal weight, a good weight, before you become pregnant, if that's possible.
But again, the big story here, if you are overweight or obese and become pregnant, you may have a higher risk of something a child with birth defects -- Heidi.
COLLINS: And of course, you really want to watch your weight when you are pregnant, with your doctor.
All right, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thank you so much this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired May 6, 2003 - 08:46 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: We are paging Dr. Gupta this morning about a new study that says women who are overweight before pregnancy run a much greater risk of having babies with birth defects. Sanjay's at the CNN Center to tell us more about this.
Boy, this is frightening, Sanjay.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: It really is. You know, you really can't do enough stories about obesity and overweight. Sixty percent of Americans now fall into one of those two categories, overweight or obesity. We do know that that's linked to all sorts of health problems -- heart disease, diabetes and stroke. As you mentioned, Heidi, now looking at overweight women of child-bearing age as well, 50 percent of women that fall into that category, overweight or obese, 50 percent of child-bearing age women.
We have long known there are sorts of potential birth complications from overweight or obese women giving birth, such as diabetes, things like that, prematurity of the baby as well.
Now there's a new study from the CDC that actually looked at 1,000 women over four years, and they found that there are a couple of other birth defects greater in number than previously believed. One is heart defects, twice the risk of heart defects, and others just twice the risk of what are called multiple birth defects, just more than one birth defect. The study confirmed something known as spina bifida, which was long been linked to a nutritional deficiency of folate is also linked to overweight or obese child-bearing age women.
So all three of these much higher numbers than previously believed.
But again, the big news, heart defects, twice the number, and twice the number of multiple birth defects in women who are overweight or obese of child-bearing age.
COLLINS: Quickly, Sanjay, let's talk about the ideal weight when you are pregnant.
GUPTA: Yes, you know, people say don't give any magic numbers when it comes to ideal weight, because that can be a little bit of a quagmire as well. There probably isn't one, but there are some rules to follow. A gradual weight gain is an important thing, two to four pound by the end of the 12th week, and then a pound or two every week after that. For a single pregnancy, 25 to 35 pound pounds for a normal weight woman. For a woman who is overweight, about 15 to 25 pounds, and a woman who is obese, probably 15 pounds only during the entire pregnancy. Obviously, those numbers go down.
Remember going on a diet not the right time to do that while you're pregnant, much more important to get to the ideal weight, a good weight, before you become pregnant, if that's possible.
But again, the big story here, if you are overweight or obese and become pregnant, you may have a higher risk of something a child with birth defects -- Heidi.
COLLINS: And of course, you really want to watch your weight when you are pregnant, with your doctor.
All right, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thank you so much this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
