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IRISH expectant mothers are more than twice as likely to be obese and smoke than their eastern European counterparts who live here.

And they are almost twice as likely to have to undergo an emergency caesarean section, a major new study has shown.

The assessment of more than 2,800 pregnant women found that the Irish are the unhealthiest and are most likely to suffer complications.

It suggests that economic development in Europe may be fuelling an increase in caesarean section rates through growing levels of obesity in expectant mothers.

COMPLICATIONS

The study compared obesity, smoking and caesarean rates among 2,235 pregnant women born in Ireland, 100 women born in the 14 EU countries pre-European enlargement and 476 women from the 12 EU countries post-enlargement.

Carried out by University College Dublin (UCD) and the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), it says that:

* Irish mothers are more than twice as likely to be obese as eastern Europeans.

* One in five Irish mothers needed an emergency caesarean compared with only one in 10 of eastern Europeans.

* Some 42pc of Irish mothers had their labour induced compared with just over 30pc of eastern Europeans, and

* Irish pregnant women are almost three times as likely to smoke compared with eastern Europeans.

The research was carried out at the Coombe Women's and Infants' Hospital in Dublin between 2008 and 2011.

Prof Michael Turner – consultant obstetrician at the Coombe, head of the UCD Centre for Human Reproduction and one of the authors of the study – said there was a clear link between obesity in pregnant women and induction of labour.

"Maternal obesity is associated with an increase in serious complications for mother and baby such as gestational diabetes and hypertension and increased labour intervention.

"Obese women are twice as likely to need a caesarean. When you have to do a caesarean on a morbidly obese patient, it is difficult not only for the woman but it is challenging for the anaesthetist and surgeon.

"Obesity is a modifiable risk factor that women have the power to change. The time to change lifestyle through exercise and diet is best done before she gets pregnant."

Prof Turner said obese women should be at a normal weight before trying to become pregnant.

Prof Richard Layte, economic sociologist at the ESRI and another author of the study, said: "We have known for some time that there are ethnic variations in caesarean section rates. In the US, the rate is higher for African American women but lower for Hispanic women, even after adjustment for variables."

The study found the obesity rate among first-time Irish-born mothers was 19.5pc – twice that of mothers born in the EU 12 countries at only 9.5pc. Some 19.8pc of Irish-born women needed an emergency caesarean, compared with 12.5pc of women from the EU 12 group.

Irish Independent