Obesity In Pregnant Women

Introduction: The purpose of this study is to determine if obesity in pregnant women leads to higher rates of obesity in their offspring. According to the World Health Organization, obesity should be treated as a world wide epidemic ( WHO). One in three Americans are obese and many more are overweight, or on the borderline of obesity. Public opinion of obesity has always been that is is simply due to lifestyle choices or poor diet and exercise; however, the World Health Organization believes that obesity should be treated much more aggressively in order to stop the progression of this spreading epidemic and to help change the public view on this life threatening and debilitating disease. Looking at obesity rates in children of mothers who …show more content…
There would be two groups. The first group would consist of subjects who are obese. The second group would be subjects who fall within the normal category of weight, according to the body mass index. The eligibility of the subject would include patients who are in good health, besides their body mass index. They must all be pregnant. Patients cannot have drug addictions, smoking, or heavy drinking. There should be no background of genetic disorders. There should be no patients with thyroid or other growth disorders. Weight related problems that can be linked directly back to obesity will be allowed. Gestational diabetes is likely to be seen in pregnant females that are overweight; therefore, they will be allowed in the study. The mother must make it to early term delivery, which is 37 weeks gestational age, or after to be considered for this study. No premature labor patients will be considered, due to complications that could occur not related to weight. Mothers will not be allowed in the study if their body mass index falls below 18, which is considered underweight. Babies that are born must be healthy for the study. Babies who are born with chromosomal disorders or anything that would cause them to have an abnormal life must be excluded from the study. Twins will be included if they meet the criteria stated. Babies dietary habits are not a concern for this …show more content…
Variables would include diet habits, genetics, fitness levels, and home environment/stress levels. Data collection needs to be taken using the same methods.Data would be analyzed by using both a chi square test and an analysis of variance (ANOVA) test. Calculations would be done in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The sample population size would need to be roughly 400 mothers in order to be within a 95% confidence level and have a confidence interval of 5. There should be a large population size to account for mothers who may chose to drop out of the study or who may have a premature delivery. There are a lot of variables in the study that could influence the outcome, which is a limitation. Reliability of the physician, who is collecting data, is crucial to getting an accurate measurement of each patients weight. Different physicians will have different scales; therefore, it is crucial that physicians make sure their scales are calibrated correctly. There would be a large time investment involved with following up with the patients. The expected outcomes should show that women who have a healthy body weight during pregnancy, should result in offspring with healthier outcomes when compared with obese women, whose offspring should show an increased likelihood of having diabetes or obesity later in