Obstetricians have backed calls to reintroduce height and weight checks for pregnant woman from researchers concerned about the impact of maternal obesity.
Researchers from the University of Teesside interviewed 33 maternity andobstetric healthcare professionals in north east England for thestudy.
The professionals said more guidance is needed to manage the increasedrisks around antenatal and postnatal care for obese women. Better andmore consistent maternal nutrition guidelines are also needed to helpobese mothers understand the risk to mother and baby.
Researcher Professor John Wilkinson said height and weight checks haddeclined since the late 1980s because they led to unnecessary concernamong slightly overweight mums.
A Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists spokesman said itwas still good practice to carry out the checks and that all womenshould receive them.
- www.rcog.org.uk.
