CINCO INVESTIGACIONES SOBRE LA SALUD LIDERADAS POR JÓVENES CIENTÍFICAS ESPAÑOLAS RECIBEN EL PREMIO L’ORÉAL-UNESCO ‘FOR WOMEN IN SCIENCE’

                                

**Enviada por José Antonio Sierra( Asesor ).- 

El programa L’Oréal-UNESCO ‘For Women in Science’ ha entregado hoy sus premios a las investigaciones realizadas por cinco científicas españolas menores de 40 años que han destacado por sus trabajos pioneros en el ámbito de las Ciencias de la Vida. Estos premios, que se otorgan cada año y están dotados con 15.000 euros, tienen como objetivo reconocer el liderazgo femenino y, concretamente el talento joven, en el ámbito científico.

El Programa L’ORÉAL-UNESCO ‘For Women in Science’ lleva presente en España desde hace más de dos décadas y durante este tiempo ha reconocido la labor de 77 científicas en nuestro país, apoyando sus investigaciones con más de 1,2 millones de euros, contribuyendo así a impulsar su visibilidad y animando a las futuras generaciones de mujeres a desarrollar su carrera en este ámbito.

Las investigaciones han sido elegidas por un prestigioso jurado formado por eminentes expertos científicos en las áreas contempladas en esta edición: María A. Blasco Marhuenda, directora del Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas CNIO; María Vallet-Regí, Catedrática de Química Inorgánica en la Facultad de Farmacia de la UCM y Académica de número de las Reales Academias de Ingeniería y Farmacia, y Rafael Garesse Alarcón, Catedrático en Bioquímica y Biología Molecular en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, de la que ha sido Rector hasta el año 2021.

Durante el acto de entrega, Juan Alonso de Lomas, CEO de L’Oréal España y Portugal, ha querido recordar la importancia de contar con un tejido científico sólido como garantía de competitividad futura: “Los dos últimos años han puesto de manifiesto la importancia de mantener las inversiones en I+D+i. En L’Oréal siempre lo hemos tenido claro y, por ello, llevamos más de 22 años promoviendo estos premios junto con la UNESCO. Creemos firmemente que España tiene el potencial y el talento para convertirse en un nodo científico de relevancia internacional, pero aún existen barreras para conseguirlo y la escasa visibilidad del liderazgo femenino es una de ellas”. “Hemos avanzado mucho, pero nos queda una parte importante del camino. Reconocimientos como estos, sin duda, nos ayudan a estar cada día, un poco más cerca de nuestro objetivo”, ha añadido el ejecutivo.

LA LUCHA CONTRA EL CÁNCER, PROTAGONISTA DE DOS DE LAS INVESTIGACIONES

En los últimos años, el cáncer se ha convertido en uno de los principales retos para la salud pública mundial. Según datos de la Sociedad Española de Oncología Médica (SEOM), en 2022 se estima que se detectarán un total de 280.101 nuevos casos de esta enfermedad en España, frente a los 276.239 diagnosticados en 2021. Sin embargo, aún existen muchas incógnitas en torno a su desarrollo y expansión por el organismo.

En concreto, el cáncer colorrectal (CRC) es el tercer cáncer más común y la cuarta causa de muerte en todo el mundo, con la metástasis como principal amenaza para la supervivencia de los pacientes y este es precisamente el foco de una de las investigaciones premiadas este año. Se trata del trabajo de la científica Jone Mitxelena (Barakaldo, 1985), de la Universidad del País Vasco (UPV/EHU), cuyo propósito es entender los mecanismos moleculares implicados en la diseminación de este tipo de cáncer como vía para desarrollar tratamientos más efectivos.

Por su parte, la investigadora de la Universidad de Málaga, Melissa García (Málaga, 1985), se centra en desvelar la comunicación entre las células inmunes y las endoteliales (las que se encuentran en el revestimiento interno de los vasos sanguíneos, los vasos linfáticos y el corazón) en el microambiente tumoral. El objetivo principal de este proyecto es identificar nuevos factores implicados en su intercomunicación, hallando nuevas dianas terapéuticas y biomarcadores que favorezcan el desarrollo futuro de fármacos que permitan frenar la progresión tumoral. 

LAS ANEMIAS CONGÉNITAS, LA SALUD VASCULAR Y LAS ENFERMEDADES NEURODEGENERATIVAS, TRES AFECCIONES PERSISTENTES EN LA SOCIEDAD ACTUAL

El proyecto de investigación de Ana Belén Pérez Oliva (Murcia, 1981), investigadora en el Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria (IMIB-FFIS), tiene como objeto el inflamasoma, un conjunto de proteínas que intervienen en los procesos inflamatorios y que puede suponer una nueva diana terapéutica para tratar las anemias congénitas; es decir, aquellas que no dependen de los niveles de hierro. El propósito de su labor es mejorar la vida de los pacientes de esta afección, cuya prevalencia en nuestra sociedad es considerablemente alta y para la que actualmente solo existen tratamientos paliativos. Para ello, se centra en averiguar el papel de este conjunto de proteínas en la regulación de la producción de glóbulos rojos, o eritropoyesis.

Las enfermedades neurodegenerativas que, en muchos casos, conducen a discapacidad o dependencia completa, centran otro de los proyectos premiados este año por L’Oréal y la UNESCO. En particular, se trata del trabajo de la investigadora de la Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona Natalia Sánchez (Barcelona, 1981), quien busca esclarecer la relación entre la microbiota intestinal y el desarrollo de este tipo de enfermedades. Su labor puede tener una gran influencia en la forma de entender las enfermedades neurodegenerativas e inspirar, por tanto, terapias alternativas para su prevención y tratamiento.

Por último, el daño cardiovascular y, en concreto, la aterosclerosis y los aneurismas aórticos, es una de las principales causas de mortalidad en adultos en países occidentales. Por esta razón, Nerea Méndez Barbero (Madrid, 1985) centra su trabajo en el Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias Fundación Jiménez Díaz en su prevención a través de la identificación de los pacientes de mayor riesgo. Su metodología se basa en la localización de señales moleculares de comunicación celular que suceden en la pared de los vasos sanguíneos en las etapas iniciales de la enfermedad.

 

MÁS DE 3.900 CIENTÍFICAS APOYADAS POR EL PROGRAMA 

Presente en 117 países, el programa ha reconocido desde sus orígenes a 3.900 científicas, alternando cada dos años entre ciencias de la vida y ciencias de los materiales. En España sus proyectos reciben una dotación económica de 15.000€ para financiar sus investigaciones y que sigan contribuyendo de forma excepcional al progreso de la ciencia.

 

 

PIE DE FOTO: De izda. a drcha.: Ana Belén Pérez Oliva, Nerea Méndez Barbero, Natalia Sánchez y Melissa García.

Men need more frequent lung cancer screening than women

The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends annual screening for lung cancer with low dose computed tomography (CT) in adults aged 55 to 80 years who have a 30 pack-year smoking history and currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years.
“Less frequent screening would reduce radiation exposure but previous studies of longer screening intervals produced varied results,” said lead author Dr Mi-Young Kim, a radiologist at Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea. “This may have been caused by differences in the clinical and radiological presentation of lung cancer in women and men.”
This study investigated sex differences in newly developed lung cancer and calculated the optimal CT screening intervals for women and men. The study retrospectively included 46,766 patients who underwent chest CT screening at Asan Medical Center between January 2000 and February 2016. During the study period, 282 patients developed lung cancer. Of these, 186 patients were diagnosed from the initial CT scan and were excluded from the study, while 96 patients (85 men, 11 women) were diagnosed from subsequent CT scans and were included in the study.
In the 96 patients, the researchers analysed the CT screening intervals and the stage and pathology of lung cancer when it was diagnosed, to see if there were any sex differences.
The average time between lung cancer being diagnosed on CT and the previous CT scan was significantly longer in women (5.6 years) than in men (3.6 years). However, the lung cancer stage at diagnosis was higher in men: 82% of lung cancers diagnosed in women were stage I compared to just 49% in men.
Pathological analyses showed that solid nodule (72%) was the most common finding in men, while ground glass opacity nodule (45%) was the most common in women. In men, adenocarcinoma was the most common type (42%), followed by squamous cell carcinoma (35%), small cell lung cancer (18%), and others (5%). All women patients had adenocarcinoma.
Kim said: “Because ground glass opacity nodule is the most common feature of lung cancer in women and all cases are adenocarcinoma, the growth rate of cancers might be low. Most female patients were non-smokers (82%), who have a lower risk of lung cancer, while 87% of men were smokers. We included all patients screened for lung cancer in a 17-year period, but the number of women patients was low and further studies are needed to confirm the sex differences we found.”
She concluded: “Our study suggests that the annual follow-up interval for CT is too frequent for women, and scans every 2–3 years might be suitable. By reducing the number of unnecessary CT scans, we can decrease radiation exposure and increase cost effectiveness.”
Commenting on the significance of the research, Dr Pilar Garrido, head of the Thoracic Tumour Section of the Medical Oncology Department at Ramón y Cajal University Hospital, Madrid, Spain, said: “Lung cancer is the most common cancer globally, but debate about the optimal screening strategy is ongoing and current selection criteria are based only on age and pack-years. Several studies have highlighted that lung cancer has different features in women compared with men, thereby defining a different entity in female patients.”
“Cancer incidence is expected to increase in the future, further straining limited healthcare resources,” continued Garrido. “Personalised screening strategies, such as a gender approach, could be a way to optimise results and allocate resources appropriately.”
She concluded: “The benefits, harms and feasibility of implementing gender-based lung cancer screening policies should be assessed and compared with those of current recommendations. The rate of non-smoking lung cancer is different between men and women and varies among countries. This should be taken into account when considering a gender-based lung cancer screening policy.”

PREGNANT WOMEN CAN TEST FOR LEADING CAUSE OF LIFE-THREATENING INFECTION IN NEWBORN BABIES

National charity Group B Strep Support is delighted to announce a partnership with healthcare company HiberGene Diagnostics to help pregnant women to test for group B Strep – the most common cause of life-threatening infection in newborn babies.

One in four pregnant women is unknowingly carrying group B Strep bacteria, which causes meningitis, sepsis or pneumonia in more than 500 newborn babies a year.

On average, one newborn baby a week dies from group B Strep infection.

Testing for Group B Streptococcus (group B Strep or GBS) is not routinely available through the NHS, unlike countries such as the USA, France, Germany, Poland and many others.

HiberGene Diagnostics’ test for GBS is called Strepelle and uses the international ‘gold standard’ ECM method for detecting group B Strep carriage, recognised in Public Health England’s UK Standard.  

“We are delighted to be working with HiberGene Diagnostics who are supporting our helplines and information services for new and expectant parents” says Jane Plumb MBE, Chief Executive of Group B Strep Support. “Pregnant women are rarely offered testing in the NHS, and if they are, a ‘gold-standard’ test like Strepelle is seldom available.  With their help, and their test, we are confident that more babies will be protected from preventable group B Strep infection.”

Brendan Farrell, Chairman and CEO of HiberGene Diagnostics agrees, “Commercial tests like Strepelle enable women to find out whether they carry group B Strep in pregnancy so they can make informed choices about what is best for them and their baby.  Identifying pregnant women likely to be carrying group B Strep and giving them IV penicillin during labour can reduce group B Strep infection in newborn babies by over 80%”.

Strepelle costs £39.99 and is available from selected independent pharmacies and online from www.strepelle.com.

Strepelle is an easy to use home-to-laboratory test recommended from 35 weeks gestation. Once the laboratory has received the completed test, the results are sent via text within three working days and, for positive results, a hard-copy of the results is also sent.

Additional hormone measurement reveals pregnant women at high risk of preeclampsia

An additional blood test for pregnant women accurately predicts which women with high thyroid function are at risk of developing preeclampsia, according to a study presented today at the European Congress of Endocrinology. The findings may help identify high-risk pregnant women and potentially avoid unnecessary treatment that carries the risk of foetal abnormalities.

Preeclampsia is a condition that occurs during the second half of pregnancy, where women have high blood pressure and pass protein in their urine. It occurs in 2-8% pregnancies and in some cases leads to serious complications for both mother and child, including seizures, kidney failure, haemorrhage and preterm birth.

One of the risk factors for preeclampsia is hyperthyroidism, which can be caused by medical conditions such as Graves’ Disease or toxic thyroid nodules. However, high levels of hCG, a hormone that rises naturally during pregnancy, also leads to high thyroid function but this type of pregnancy-related hyperthyroidism does not have an increased risk of preeclampsia.

As taking drugs to treat high thyroid function during pregnancy carries the risk of causing foetal abnormalities, it is important to distinguish between an overactive thyroid caused by pregnancy-related hCG or one caused by a conventional underlying thyroid condition.

In this study, researchers measured the hormones of 5153 women during early pregnancy (before the 18^thweek) and found that women with high levels of thyroid hormone but low levels of hCG were between three and eleven times more likely to develop preeclampsia. Women with high levels of thyroid hormone and high levels of hCG were not at increased risk of preeclampsia. The researchers accounted for other factors including the age, smoking, education and ethnicity of the expectant mothers as well as the gender of the baby.

“Most pregnant women will have high thyroid hormone levels because of a natural rise in hCG, rather than an underlying thyroid condition like Grave’s Disease or toxic nodules”, said lead author of the study Dr Tim Korevaar from the Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam.

“Doctors do not currently screen for preeclampsia, although many do measure thyroid hormone during pregnancy,” continued Dr Korevaar. “Measuring hCG as well may help doctors to more accurately interpret thyroid function tests in pregnant women.”

“Our work will potentially reassure the vast majority of patients who do not actually have an underlying thyroid condition by helping them avoid unnecessary treatment”.

Soybean foods may protect menopausal women against osteoporosis

Eating a diet rich in both soy protein and isoflavones can protect menopausal women from bone weakening and osteoporosis, according to the results of a preliminary study presented today at the Society for Endocrinology annual conference in Edinburgh.

Osteoporosis is a common condition where bones become brittle and fragile from tissue loss, causing 9 million fractures worldwide every year. In women, bone loss occurs most quickly in the years immediately after menopause because they produce less of the sex hormone oestrogen, which protects against bone loss.

Soybean foods contain chemicals known as isoflavones that are similar in structure to oestrogen and so could theoretically protect women against osteoporosis by mimicking the action of oestrogen.

In this study, researchers from the University of Hull gave two hundred women in early menopause a daily supplement containing soy protein with 66mg of isoflavones or a supplement with soy protein alone for six months. The researchers investigated changes in the women’s bone activity by measuring certain proteins (βCTX and P1NP) in their blood.

They found that the women on the soy diet with isoflavones had significantly lower levels of βCTX than the women on soy alone, suggesting that their rate of bone loss was slowing down and lowering their risk of developing osteoporosis. Women taking soy protein with isoflavones were also found to have decreased risk of cardiovascular disease than those taking soy alone.

Lead author of the study Thozhukat Sathyapalan said: “We found that soy protein and isoflavones are a safe and effective option for improving bone health in women during early menopause. The actions of soy appear to mimic that of conventional osteoporosis drugs.”

“The 66 mg of isoflavone that we use in this study is equivalent to eating an oriental diet, which is rich in soy foods. In contrast, we only get around 2-16 mg of isoflavone with the average western diet.”

“Supplementing our food with isoflavones could lead to a significant decrease in the number of women being diagnosed with osteoporosis.”

Researchers next aim to investigate the long-term health consequences of using soy protein and isoflavones supplements, and whether it may also have benefits beyond bone health.

Thousands of British female employees forced out of the workplace by employers failing to recognise important life stage

In today’s modern world where employers recognise key life stages including pregnancy, bereavement and child-birth, it seems there is one remaining natural life event that is being grossly ignored…the menopause! 

A new government report written by Dr Ros Altmann calls for greater support for workers going through the menopause.  Dr Altmann, Business Champion for Older Workers, who advises the Government on ways to keep older people in the work-force, says employers are failing older women by ignoring ‘the last taboo’

The report calls for more support for women going through this significant life stage and states a lack of support is forcing some women out of their jobs. Dr Altmann says women ‘are being performance-managed out of their jobs.  Dr Altman states the menopause ‘is not on the work radar.  Pregnancy is, childbirth is, berevament is but [menopausal women] get no support in the workplace.’

We asked Dr Marilyn Glenville, the UK’s leading authority on women’s natural health and author of Natural Solutions to Menopause how the menopause affects women and what employers can do to support women going through the menopause…


                                                                            
‘The news that women are being forced out of the workplace because employers are ignoring the impact of the menopause is shocking.  The menopause is just a transition in a woman’s life and if given good advice this transition can be comfortable and easy.  Women can now live 30 to 50 years past the menopause and they want to live that with a good quality of life.’

‘If women are told how to cope and manage this stage in their lives, then they can be very productive and efficient at work.  They have the experience and maturity to do their jobs well and can be very valuable assets to a company.  The menopause should be ‘on the work radar’ because it not only helps women feel well and healthy at this time in their lives, but also helps the company retain and utilise the valuable experience of productive and efficient women.’


How long can the menopause last and what are the symptoms?

‘The average age in the UK is 51 but the menopause can start as early as 40 or as late in life as 55. The menopause typically lasts for about 7 years, but some women can experience symptoms for up to 14 years.

‘Common symptoms can include; hot flushes, night sweats, irritability, declining libido, osteoporosis, weight gain, depression, lack of energy, ageing skin, hair loss, vaginal dryness, mood swings’

How common is it for you to see women complaining of menopausal or peri-menopausal symptoms in your clinics? 

‘It is very common for me to see women complaining of symptoms around this time in their lives.  Of course, the women that are sailing through the menopause don’t need help and so I am usually only seeing those who do.  There are some women though who come into my clinic where the menopause has been easy but they are concerned about their future health and want to stay healthy and mentally sharp, with good bone health and energy so they want to work on prevention.’

Do you think it would be hard for these women to approach their employers about symptoms and possible support, given the current climate?

‘I think it would be very hard and embarrassing for the women where the menopause is affecting them to talk to them employers about this, especially if the employer is a man.  For many women this stage is a very clear signal that they are getting older and would be worried about talking about the symptoms as this may imply tht they are not coping with the job and are not so productive or efficient.  I think they would be worried about losing their job or being made redundant if they spoke out.’

What sorts of initiatives and support could employers introduce to make it easier for women to manage their symptoms and stay in full time employment?

‘I think it would be brilliant if employers could bring in someone like myself to give a ‘training’ day for women on how to cope with the menopause.  This information day should be open to all women in the company, no matter what their age, because if they are given good advice earlier on and prepare for the menopause then they can move through this transition easily and comfortably.  It would be of value to the women definitely but also to the employers as they will then be keeping a valuable member of staff who wants to stay in full time employment who is healthy, productive and efficient.  And with the renewed general health will come less absenteeism across the board for these women.’


Marilyn’s new women’s health retreats at Champneys help empower women of all ages

Dr Marilyn Glenville has joined forces with luxury health spa Champneys in Tring, to deliver a series of women’s wellbeing weekends.  These very special one and two day retreats are led by Dr Glenville herself and offer natural solutions and insight into four significant female issues; Fat Around The Middle, Digestion and IBS, Menopause and Fertility.  Groups are kept small to allow for plenty of time for questions and one to one time.  Each retreat includes full use of all facilities, nutritious meals and a thalassotherapy session.  Champneys.com for booking and more information.

Women Not Getting Enough Exercise; At Risk of Developing Metabolic Syndrome

 A national study shows that women are less likely than men to get at least 30 minutes of exercise per day, resulting in greater odds of developing metabolic syndrome -- a risky and increasingly prevalent condition related to obesity.

A group participants were outfitted with accelerometers that measured daily activity. In their study, slightly more than one in three women had metabolic syndrome, and one in five had symptoms of depression.

"It's pretty striking what happens to you if you don't meet that 30 minutes a day of activity," Cardinal said. "Women in our sample had better health behavior -- they were much less likely to smoke for instance, but the lack of activity still puts them at risk."
Cardinal said depression puts people at more risk of abdominal fat and insulin resistance, and both are risk factors for metabolic syndrome.
"Physical activity has been shown to reduce depression," he said. "So the key message here is to get that 30 minutes of exercise every day because it reduces a great deal of risk factors."
While their study does not address why women were not getting enough exercise, the authors said research shows that physical activity patterns often begin in childhood.
"Research has shown that around ages 5 or 6 these patterns begin," Cardinal said. "Parents tend to be more concerned with the safety of girls, and have more restrictive practices around outdoor time and playtime than with boys."
Loprinzi said this pattern tends to continue into adulthood, and that overall confidence may be a factor.
"Some evidence indicates that women, compared to men, have less confidence in their ability to overcome their exercise-related barriers," Loprinzi said, adding that women also often cite a lack of time to exercise due to child-rearing.
The researchers have a study coming out that may help those time-challenged women. Loprinzi said he and Cardinal found that adults can still enhance their health by accumulating physical activity in short periods throughout the day, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator or pacing while talking on the phone.


**Published in "SCIENCE DAILY"

NIH study finds women spend longer in labor now than 50 years ago

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Women take longer to give birth today than did women 50 years ago, according to an analysis of nearly 140,000 deliveries conducted by researchers at the National Institutes of Health. The researchers could not identify all of the factors that accounted for the increase, but concluded that the change is likely due to changes in delivery room practice. The study authors called for further research to determine whether modern delivery practices are contributing to the increase in labor duration.
The researchers compared data on deliveries in the early 1960s to data gathered in the early 2000s. They found that the first stage of labor had increased by 2.6 hours for first-time mothers. For women who had previously given birth, this early stage of labor took two hours longer in recent years than for women in the 1960s. The first stage of labor is the stage during which the cervix dilates, before active pushing begins.
Infants born in the contemporary group also were born five days earlier, on average, than were those born in the 1960s, and tended to weigh more. The women in the contemporary group tended to weigh more than did those who delivered in the 1960s. For the contemporary group, the average body mass index before pregnancy was 24.9, compared with 23 for the earlier generation. Body mass index is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. At the time they gave birth, the mothers in the contemporary group were about four years older, on average, than those in the group who gave birth in the 1960s.
"Older mothers tend to take longer to give birth than do younger mothers," said the study's lead author, S. Katherine Laughon, M.D., of the Epidemiology Branch of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). "But when we take maternal age into account, it doesn't completely explain the difference in labor times."
Among the change in delivery practice the researchers found was an increase in the use of epidural anesthesia, the injection of pain killers into the spinal fluid, to decrease the pain of labor. For the contemporary group, epidural injections were used in more than half of recent deliveries, compared with 4 percent of deliveries in the 1960s. The study authors noted that epidural anesthesia is known to increase delivery time, but said it doesn't account for all of the increase.
Doctors in the early 2000s also administered the hormone oxytocin more frequently (in 31 percent of deliveries, compared with 12 percent in the 1960s), the researchers found. Oxytocin is given to speed up labor, often when contractions seem to have slowed. Its use should be expected to shorten labor times, Dr. Laughon explained.
"Without it, labor might even be longer in current obstetrics than what we found," she said.
Their analysis was published online in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
The study compared data from nearly 40,000 deliveries between 1959 and 1966 with records of almost 100,000 deliveries that took place in 2002 through 2008. Data from the recent deliveries were collected through the NICHD-supported Consortium on Safe Labor.
Dr. Laughon conducted the study with D. Ware Branch, M.D., of Intermountain Healthcare and the University of Utah, in Salt Lake City; Jun Zhang, Ph.D., M.D., with the NICHD at the time of the study and now with the Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, China; and Julie Beaver, M.S., formerly with the NICHD.
Other differences between the two groups reflect changes in later stage delivery practices. For example, in 1960s-era deliveries the use of episiotomy (surgical incision to enlarge the vaginal opening during delivery), and the use of forceps, surgical instruments used to extract the baby from the birth canal, was notably more common.
In current practice, doctors may intervene when labor fails to progress. This could happen if the dilation of the cervix slows or the active phase of labor stops for several hours, Dr. Laughon explained. In these cases, intervention can include administering oxytocin or performing a cesarean delivery.
In fact, the study found that the rate of cesarean delivery was four times higher today than it was 50 years ago (12 percent vs. 3 percent).
The authors note that while their study does not identify all the factors contributing to longer delivery times, the findings do indicate that current delivery practices may need to be re-evaluated.
The women in the contemporary cohort had an average pre-pregnancy BMI of 24.9. A BMI of 25 is considered overweight. Overweight and obesity raise the risk of pregnancy complications for mother and baby (PDF -- 1.3 MB). Women who are overweight or obese and who would like to become pregnant should speak with their health care provider about losing weight before becoming pregnant.

**Source: NIH/National Institute of Child Health and Human Development