Maternal Obesity Heightens Risk of Birth Defects

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It's not clear why the association between pre-pregnancy obesity and birth defects exists.

"We know that obese women have a higher risk of certain defects, but we don't know if obesity is the direct cause," Waller said. "There could be other explanations, such as different types of diet, different ways of dieting when they're dieting. We were not able to exclude women with diabetes, and that is a very strong risk factor for birth defects, so we think there may be undiagnosed cases of diabetes remaining with the study."

Future research will look at dieting techniques and the risk of birth defects, as well as any links between over-the-counter diuretics and appetite suppressants and birth defects.

More information

Find out more about a healthy pregnancy at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.