According to MSNBC, a study found that overweight women have a much higher risk of a miscarriage after having in-vitro fertilization than slimmer women who had undergone the same procedure. British doctors tracked 318 women at a London clinic who became pregnant after having in-vitro fertilization from 2000-2009.
The researchers then separated women by their Body Mass Index. Women who had a BMI of 18 to 24 were classified as normal. Women with a BMI of 25 or more were classified as overweight, and those over 30 as obese.
The study also took into consideration factors such as age, smoking and medical history. With all those factors, the study found overweight and obese women were much more likely to have a miscarriage than thin women. Women within the normal weight range who had undergone in-vitro fertilization had a 22 percent miscarriage rate. Women who were considered overweight and obese had a risk of miscarriage by 33 percent.
Depending on age and health history, women who had conceived naturally have a 4 percent to 23 percent risk of miscarriage during the first trimester. Overweight and obese women conceiving naturally have a three to four times higher risk of miscarriage.
Doctors not connected to the study recommended women include weight loss in their fertility treatment. It is unclear why excess body weight affects pregnancies, but suspect fat may have effects on the lining of the uterus, making it difficult for embryos to implant.
