Obesity and Infertility

Obesity and Infertility

The medical field has researched the health problems which obese people have, and a correlation has now been drawn between obesity and infertility. While the reasons for infertility can vary , studies now reveal that there is a connection between obese women with a body mass index over 30 and infertility issues. Obese women tend to have irregular menstruation, which goes hand in hand with irregular ovulation. When a woman ovulates erratically, she has a much reduced chance to conceive a child.

Many of the obese women who suffer infertility are also diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, which happens frequently when irregular ovulation and menstrual cycles are present. Diseases such as diabetes and hyperinsulinemia are also present more frequently in obese women and they also appear to negatively impact fertility. Additionally, when these problems happen, it’s unlikely that in-vitro fertilization will be successful in obese women.

Fertility may be severely diminished by obesity

Studies have revealed that since obese women more frequently experience irregular ovulation and have more immature eggs, they will also experience a higher rate of tubal pregnancies. Tubal pregnancies occur in the fallopian tubes rather than the uterus and are not viable since the fetus can’t develop properly outside of the uterus. Tubal pregnancy may be one of the main reasons that obese women have a high rate of miscarriage, but there are also other possible factors which are not yet known and are still being studied.

Complications during birth are higher for obese mothers

Studies coming from Sweden have recently revealed that obese women who suffer infertility are also frequently going to experience elevated blood pressure. High blood pressure during pregnancy, which is very dangerous, is four to five times more likely to occur in obese mothers. In addition to all of these risks, stillbirth has been found to happen more frequently in women who have a body mass index over 35. Women with a BMI of 26 or less suffer stillbirths much less often.

Children born to obese mothers are two to three times more likely to having serious birth complications due to the infant’s shoulder becoming stuck in the mother’s pelvis. Gestational diabetes is also a much more serious threat since it is seen much more commonly in babies of obese mothers. Obesity causes problems during not just with infertility, but also causes many of the issues seen during the pregnancies and deliveries of obese women.

While studies are being conducted and much is being learned about the issues and connections between infertility and obesity, there is still a great deal left to research. Hypothyroidism is a common problem for obese people of both sexes, and since the thyroid’s correct functioning is vital for a safe pregnancy, it might have yet another connection. What is known now is that there is an obvious connection between infertility, obesity, and quite possibly even more yet-unrevealed issues.