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Sunderland's fat mum alert
Hundreds of Wearside's mums-to-be are risking the health of their unborn babies because they are so fat.
More than a quarter are obese, and Sunderland Royal Hospital is having to draft in supersized equipment to deal with them.
This includes bigger beds and blood pressure machines to handle the growing number of overweight expectant mums and other patients.
The maternity unit deals with about 1,000 pregnant women a year with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or above, meaning they are classed as obese.
And about 200 of the 3,500 mums-to-be it caters for on average will be morbidly obese.
Antenatal services manager Janette Johnson said: "We've had some women book in with us who at the start of pregnancy weigh 130kg (20st 6lb).
Catering for chubby mummies stretches NHS maternity units, according to the Centre for Maternal and Child Enquiries, as few have all the specialist equipment needed for complex deliveries or emergencies.
Sunderland Royal Hospital, which has one of the best-equipped maternity units in the country, has made changes to deal with society's growing obesity problem.
As well buying larger arm cuffs for monitoring blood pressures, special chairs, delivery beds and examination couches, the hospital has recently received two special theatre beds for to cope with patients up to 300kg – 47 stone.
A high BMI adds extra difficulties for staff and the expectant women themselves, such as with the ultrasound scan.
"If the mums are overweight it sometimes limits the views we can get of the baby, and we might miss something," said Mrs Johnson.
Obese pregnant women could suffer more of other discomforts, such as circulation problems, reduced mobility or symphysis pubis dysfunction – pelvic pain.
Mrs Johnson added: "Morbidly obese ladies can sometimes have problems feeling foetal movements, which cannot be very reassuring for them."
Obese mums-to-be are also at increased risk of blood clots, needing a Caesarean section, wound infections and complications with anaesthesia,
Their babies have higher risk of stillbirth, being born premature or dying in the first few days of life.
However, Mrs Johnson said help is at hand – at the hospital site and in the community – as maternity staff strive to ensure mums and babies are healthy.
"We work very closely with dietetic services at the trust, who formulate exercise and weight management programmes for our ladies," she said.
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Thursday 23 February 2012
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