Pregnant Irish women more likely to be obese, smokers and have induced labours

Irish mothers are more likely to be obese, to smoke, and have induced births, it has emerged.

At almost 20%, the obesity rate in Irish mothers is twice that of mothers from Eastern Europe who have babies in Ireland, a study has found.

Irish women are also twice as likely to need an emergency caesarean section.

One in five (19.8%) of the Irish-born first-time mothers surveyed ultimately needed an emergency C-section, compared to just one in eight of women from Eastern Europe.

Four out of 10 of the Irish mothers had an induction of labour, compared to just three out of 20 women from Eastern Europe.

The authors from University College Dublin (UCD) and the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) want public health interventions to focus on pre-pregnancy weight.

They say that involves getting the message out there that women need to be a healthy weight before they even conceive if they are to avoid complications.

The study, published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, was based on research between 2008 and 2011 at the Coombe Women and Infants’ University Hospital in Dublin.

There were 2,811 women from EU countries enrolled in the study, including 2,235 Irish women.

Consultant obstetrician at the Coombe and head of UCD’s centre for reproduction, Prof Michael Turner, said obesity could be described as having a seriously negative effect on almost every aspect of pregnancy and childbirth.

“The impact of maternal obesity on the baby and the mother’s journey through pregnancy needs to be understood as a continuum, rather than a singular event, such as a caesarean,” he said.

He said women who were obese were more likely to develop complications such as gestational diabetes and hypertension.

Prof Turner said obesity in expectant women was also associated with late delivery and induction of labour.

“Induction is associated with a higher rate of caesarean section, particularly in first-time mothers and so the complicating factor of obesity can be said to have a very disruptive and potentially harmful impact on mother and baby from the first trimester through to delivery.”

Prof Turner said it was their view that the induction of obese first-time mothers should be undertaken only in carefully considered circumstances.

ESRI economic sociologist Prof Richard Layte said it was known for some time that there were ethnic variations in caesarean section rates.

“For example, in the US, the rate is higher for African-American women but lower for Hispanic women, even after adjustment for variables.

“While ethnic factors in the context of caesarean rates are not modifiable; behaviour and clinical strategies are. Therefore, we recommend careful consideration of the two variables over which first-time mothers and clinicians have influence; namely, obesity, and the decision to induce.”