Fetal Overgrowth in Obese Women.

• Position: MACROSOMIA - Brief article

Obesity during pregnancy--independent of its health consequences, such as diabetes--may account for the higher risk of giving birth to an atypically large infant, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md. The study appears in JAMA Pediatrics.

"Our results underscore the importance of attaining a healthy body weight before pregnancy," says lead author Cuilin Zhang, who works in the Division of Intramural Population Health Research. "They also suggest that clinicians should carefully monitor the pregnancies of all obese women, regardless of whether they have obesity-related health conditions."

Macrosomia--a large body size at birth--is common among children born to obese women, particularly those who have gestational diabetes (high blood sugar during pregnancy). Macrosomia raises the risk that an infant will experience bone fracture during delivery. It also increases the likelihood...