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Babies of obese mothers at higher risk of asphyxia

Babies born to overweight women have an increased risk of birth asphyxia, Swedish and US researchers have discovered.

The authors analysed Swedish medical birth registry data for all births that took place between 1992 and 2010, and found the proportion of low Apgar scores (a measure of oxygen deficit at birth) was greater in babies of overweight and obese mothers than mothers of healthy weight.

These findings suggest that encouraging women of reproductive age to maintain a healthy weight is in the interests of their children’s health.

Read more at Karolinska Institutet

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