Washington, Mar 25 (ANI): A study by researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev’’s (BGU) Faculty of Health Sciences has suggested that obese women can reduce the risk of medical and obstetric complications when they become pregnant by undergoing bariatric surgery.

Between 1988 and 2006, 176 women had 301 deliveries that occurred before bariatric surgery and 354 women had 507 deliveries that occurred after bariatric surgery.

The study indicated that the risk of gestational diabetes alone drops by 60 percent when an obese woman has bariatric surgery before getting pregnant.

There were significantly lower rates of hypertensive disorders in general and severe pre-eclampsia in particular, as well as lower rates of diabetes mellitus and anemia (defined as maternal hemoglobin less than 10 g/dL) following bariatric surgery.

However, the study did show a significantly higher rate of cesarean births in women who had undergone bariatric surgery.

The study was recently published in the International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics/ (ANI)