The NOF believe all mothers-to-be should be weighed regularly

The National Obesity Forum (NOF) – an influential group of doctors and nurses specialising in weight problems – is calling for a change in pregnancy procedures. The expert group believes that all mothers-to-be should be weighed regularly during pregnancy to help combat the many dangers to women’s and babies’ health, such as the risk of the death of the baby through stillbirth or the woman suffering pre-eclampsia or gestational diabetes all of which can be influenced by maternal obesity.

Currently women in England have their height and weight taken when they have their first antenatal appointment, the so-called “booking visit”, in order to indicate their Body Mass Index (BMI) and only women with a high BMI are subject to further check-ups. However Dr David Haslam, the NOF’s influential chairman, believes that the antidote to piling on the pounds during pregnancy, and thereby harming the health of both mother and child, would be to have mothers’ weight being monitored reguarly throughout the pregnancy at all antenatal appointments with midwives, GPs and obstetricians. Dr Haslam believes that an increase in the number of check ups would enable nutritional and lifestyle advice to be given to pregnant mothers should their weight gain go beyond the recommended amount.

Parents, toddlers and pregnant women are the targets of a new government healthy lifestyles campaign launched last week, called Start4Life however the NOF is standing firm in its policy and believes that far more extensive measures are needed.