How weight affects pregnancy and whether it is necessary to lose weight before conceiving a child

Illustrative photo: Milkos/DEPOSITPHOTOS

Dutch scientists said that excessive body mass index in women and men is associated with reduced fertility, that is, less chances of conceiving a child.

Overweight and obesity in women were also associated with an increased risk miscarriage.

Appropriate researchwhich involved 3,604 women and their partners, was published in the journal JAMA Network Open.

“The study suggests that optimizing BMI in women and men starting in the preconception period may be an important strategy to improve fertility and reduce the risk of miscarriage.”says the scientific article.

The study was conducted in Rotterdam from August 9, 2017 to July 1, 2021. The scientists observed the couples starting from the period before pregnancy and followed up until the birth of the child.

Scientists defined fertility (the ability to naturally conceive and bear a child) as the probability of conception within 1 month.

At the same time, “subfertility” meant that couples could not conceive a child on their own for more than a year/turned to assisted reproductive technologies.

To investigate the effect of weight on reproduction, scientists analyzed 3,033 episodes of pregnancy or non-pregnancy in women.

The average BMI in women was 23.5, and in men – 24.9. Recall that a BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 indicates overweight, and a BMI of 30 and above indicates obesity.

Ultimately, 314 out of 2,770 pregnancy episodes (11.3%) ended in miscarriage. 541 cases of “subfertility” (17.8%) were also recorded.

Overweight and obese women had lower fertility compared to women of normal weight. Underweight women also had worse fertility.

“Higher BMI in women and men was associated with lower fertility: for each unit increase in BMI, fertility decreased,” – say scientists.

So, before planning to conceive, couples should consult with their health care provider about weight and, if necessary, reduce it in a healthy way. Earlier we talked about when to lose weight and how to do it right.

It will be recalled that scientists previously answered whether children can take popular obesity drugs, and also named a factor that increases the risk of stroke and heart attack before the 50th birthday.