OBESITY AND INFERTILITY AMONG FEMALES | Dr Rama Sofat Hospital

Infertility affects one in seven couples, and its rate is on the increase. Ovulatory defects and unexplained causes account for >50% of infertile aetiologies. It is postulated that a significant proportion of these cases are either directly or indirectly related to obesity as explained by Dr Rama Sofat.

Obesity is on the increase worldwide; in turn, the consequences in terms of the associated morbidity and mortality have also been increasing. 

Obesity is associated with various reproductive sequelae including anovulation, subfertility and infertility, increased risk of miscarriage and poor neonatal and maternal pregnancy outcomes. Thus, the combination of infertility and obesity poses some very real challenges in terms of both the short- and long-term management of these patients

Being a healthy weight increases the chances of getting pregnant and reduces the risk of complications during pregnancy.

Women who are obese take longer to get pregnant and have a higher risk of:

• miscarriage
• hypertension (high blood pressure)
• pre-eclampsia
• gestational diabetes
• infection
• blood clotting
• the need for medical intervention to bring on labour (induced labour)
• caesarean birth
• premature birth
• stillbirth

Ways to make healthier changes

Avoid short-term fat diets or changes that you are unlikely to continue in the future.

Set small achievable goals that you can manage (e.g. taking the stairs rather than the lift, using a pedometer to count your steps each day, swapping juice or soft drinks for water).

Be realistic and build your goals up slowly over time.

Everyone is different. Find a way that works best for you, and fits into your lifestyle.

Babies born to women who are obese are more likely than babies born to mothers in the healthy weight range to:

• be larger than normal at birth
• need intensive care after birth
• have a birth defect
• become obese and have health problems in childhood and later in life.

What you can do

The good news is that by making some changes – eating healthy meals and doing some regular exercise, you can work towards a healthier weight to improve your chance of pregnancy and having a healthy baby as explained by Dr Rama Sofat.

If you or your partner are overweight or obese, losing even a few kilos can improve your chances of getting pregnant.

Losing weight is not easy, and it takes commitment and time. But for most people, it is possible. Having support from a partner, family or friend can help you set up healthy lifestyle habits for the future.