HEALTH MATTERS: Obese women face higher risks for blood pressure disorders

Weight-reduction

surgery may ease

risks of childbirth

Undergoing weight-loss surgery before having a baby greatly lowers the risk that obese women will develop major health problems during pregnancy, a new study reports.
         Obese women, particularly those who are extremely so, face higher risks for blood pressure disorders such as preeclampsia during pregnancy. These types of disorders, also called hypertensive disorders, can cause complications and may result in infant death. Tehy occur in about 7 percent of pregnancies in the United States.
        In the study, Wendy L Bennet and her colleagues at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Balti more analyzed the medical records of 585 obese females, 16 to 45 years ole, who underwent weight-loss surgery either before delivering a child (269 women) or after delivery (316 women) between 2002 and 2006.
        "Women who delivered after surgery had a 75 percent lower odds of a diagnosis of a hypertensive disorder in pregnancy than women who had a delivery before surgery ," the study authors wrote in their report, published online in BMJ.
Respiratory
infections killing kids

        As many as 2,00,000 children under age 5 die worldwide  each year because of acute lower-respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a new study finds. The researchers called for new study finds. The researchers called for new prevention and treatment strategies to reduce this major cause of death in young children. the Scottish ream analysed available data and concluded that in 2005 there were 33.8 million new episodes of RSV-associated acute lower-respiratory tract infections  among children under age 5. At least 3.4 million of the cases among those children were severe and required hospital admission, and an estimated 66,000 to 1,9,000 of the children died.

          The findings held true even after the researchers took into account such factors as pre existing diabetes and mother's age at time of delivery.

         Weight-loss surgery, also known as bariatric surgery, should be considered for obese women of childbearing age who may wish to start a family, the study authors noted in a news release from the journal.