17% Indian pregnant women suffer from obesity, diabetes

At least 17 per cent of the pregnant women in India are suffering from obesity and diabetes and carry a high risk of transferring the diseases to their babies, leading gynaecologist said on Friday.

According to experts, hospital delivery has increased from 40 per cent to 80 per cent in the last five years but the maternal mortality rate is still 139 per 100,000 in India.

“It is important for the people to know that 17 per cent of pregnant women are suffering from obesity and diabetes, which carry the risk of transferring the diseases to baby,” said C.N. Purandare, Chairperson of International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO).

Purandare was speaking at the inauguration of a three-day conference on “Best Practices, Breakthroughs and Current Dilemmas in Obstetrics and Gynaecology (OBGYC)” here.

The conference is being organised by the Federation of Obstetric & Gynecological Societies of India (FOGSI) and FIGO.
IANS