If you are obese and you need a good reason to hit the gym, then this is it. According to a new study, mothers-to-be who are obese when they conceive are more likely to have unhealthy embryos with less chance of survival and potentially greater health problems in later life.
The researchers at the Hull York Medical School (HYMS) in collaboration with the Hull IVF Unit also warned that the eggs of obese women are smaller, which jeopardises the chances of a successful pregnancy. They also claim findings have long-term health implications for children born from these embryos.
“Previous studies have indicated that a mother’s weight at conception is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases in the children later in life,” according to Dr Roger Sturmey, from the HYMS Centre for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research at the University of Hull.
“What we have found here, is that being overweight at conception does appear to result in changes to the embryo at a very early stage, and that these changes are most likely the result of the conditions in the ovary in which the egg matured.
“These changes may reduce the chances of conception for overweight women, and may even have long-term health implications for the children of overweight and obese women.”
The study involved a total of 368 fertilised eggs from 58 different women whose weight ranged from healthy to overweight and obese, using Body Mass Index (BMI) scores.
The study is published in the journal Human Reproduction.
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