The more obese a pregnant woman is, the greater the chance her baby will be born with a heart defect, according to research released by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Obesity is defined as a BMI (body mass index) of 30 or higher and is a ratio of weight to height. Since more than 1 in 3 (35.5%) women 20 and older are obese, this poses a significant health risk for infants.

Researchers used data from the New York State Department of Health and examined over 1.5 million births in an 11 year period. They compared 7,000 women whose infants were born with heart defects to 56,000 women whose infants were healthy. They calculated the mother’s BMI and found that moderately obese women (BMI between 30-39) were 11% more likely to give birth to an infant with a heart defect, while morbidly obese mothers (defined as a BMI greater than 39) were 33% more likely.

Obesity also places the obese mother at greater risk for gestational diabetes, induced hypertension, c-section and other complications.

“The trend is unmistakable: The more obese a woman is, the more likely she is to have had a child with a heart defect,” says NICHD researcher Dr. James L. Mills, first author of the study. “If a woman is obese, it makes sense for her to try to lose weight before becoming pregnant. Not only will weight loss improve her own health and that of her infant, it is likely to have the added benefit of reducing the infant’s risk for heart defects.”

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