Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Ross Finnie MSP is urging the Scottish Government to make sure that pregnant mothers are given support to lose weight, after raising concerns about the numbers of pregnant women who are obese.
Answers to parliamentary questions lodged by Mr Finnie show that for the first time hospitals will record pregnant women’s BMIs as standard. At present, no such record exists, but the Preventing Overweight and Obesity in Scotland: A Route Map Towards Healthy Weight, published in February 2010, admits that increasing levels of maternal obesity is a growing concern.
Commenting, Mr Finnie said:
“Maternal obesity across the UK is a serious concern to medical professionals, with some reports estimating that a fifth of pregnant women in the UK are obese. There is the further complication that obesity can lead to type two diabetes which can be difficult to control in pregnant mothers. We don’t have an accurate picture in Scotland because the Government is only just starting to record the BMI of pregnant women.
“Obesity is a growing problem for Scotland, particularly our children. With the latest statistics showing that 1 in 5 Primary One children are overweight, childhood obesity is a ticking timebomb.
“Evidence shows that the children who are born to obese mothers are more at risk of serious health problems like heart defects and excess insulin in the blood.
“These health problems can follow children into adult life and there is an increased risk that they will themselves go on to become obese. But pregnant women who are obese are themselves at extra risk of maternal death and other significant complications.
“It’s a telling sign about the seriousness of maternal obesity that the Scottish Government has to spend £19 million pounds on maternal and infant nutrition.
“Maternal obesity is clearly a big issue. Scottish Ministers need to work with Health Boards to make sure that support is there for pregnant women to help them lose weight, but also extra care is available for their children to minimise the health risks and help them develop healthier attitudes to food and exercise.
“If the Scottish Government doesn’t tackle obesity now, then the good progress made on fighting killer diseases like cancer and strokes may be undermined.”
