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New findings on becoming pregnant after weight loss surgery: study

Xinhua, February 26, 2015 Adjust font size:

Bariatric surgery carries both positive and negative effects on the risk of complications during pregnancy and delivery, a new study from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden concluded.

In 2013, almost 8,000 bariatric operations were performed in Sweden, and 80 percent of them were on women. There has also been a sharp rise in the number of women becoming pregnant after bariatric surgery.

"The effects of bariatric surgery on health outcomes such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease have been studied, but less is known about the effects on pregnancy and perinatal outcomes," the Swedish study's lead author, Kari Johansson, said in a statement.

Johansson and her colleagues wanted to investigate whether bariatric surgery in any way influences the risk of gestational diabetes, preterm birth, stillbirth, congenital malformations, neonatal death or whether the baby would be small or large for its gestational age.

The researchers identified 596 pregnancies wherein women had given birth after bariatric surgery between 2006 and 2011 and compared them with 2,356 expectant mothers who had not had weight loss operations but who had the same body mass index as the first group prior to surgery.

The researchers found that the women who had undergone surgery were much less likely to develop gestational diabetes - 2 percent compared to 7 percent - and give birth to large babies. Just over 22 percent of women who had not had the operation delivered babies who were large for their gestational age versus 9 percent of the operated women. In fact, the women who underwent operation were twice as likely to give birth to babies who were small for their gestational age, and the pregnancies were also of shorter duration.

Johansson said pregnancies in women who have had bariatric surgery should be regarded as risk pregnancies, since there are potential negative effects. "They ought to be given special care from maternal health services, such as extra ultrasound scans to monitor fetal growth, and detailed dietary advice that includes checking the intake of the necessary post-surgery supplements," Johansson said. Endit