Too fat to give birth in Weston

12 November 2009

OBESE mothers-to-be are being told they cannot have their babies at Weston's hospital because they are too large.

Weston General Hospital has a low-risk midwife maternity unit and can only safely admit women with a body mass index (BMI) of up to 34.

The index rating is equivalent to an average 5ft 6ins tall woman weighing 15 stone.

Women above the specified weight are sent 20 miles to the nearest full-facilitated maternity unit at St Michael's Hospital in Bristol.

A spokesman said: "Our foremost concern is for the safety of mothers who deliver here and their babies.

"Mothers with a high BMI are at increased risk in labour of bleeding, needing an instrumental delivery or complications, such as the baby's shoulder becoming trapped behind the pubic bone.

"Our midwife-led centre is extremely popular because many women don't want to give birth in a hi-tech unit. There are no plans to change it."

But not everyone is happy that Weston's larger ladies are unable to give birth in their own town.

Slimming World class leader Carole Welch said it was unfair many women could not safely give birth near their home.

Mrs Welch runs the group of more than 50 members at Weston Football Club every Tuesday morning.

She said: "Women who live in the town, no matter what their size, should be able to give birth without travelling miles and miles.

"Let's face it, at the moment obesity is a growing problem and more women are coming under this 'over 34 BMI' bracket.

"Surely the hospital should take and upgrade their facilities to take in every pregnant woman?

"If I was over 34 BMI I would not be happy about it, it doesn't seem totally fair."

NHS North Somerset's annual report found the number of overweight and obese people has been increasing for a number of years.

It estimated 29,600 adults - 18 per cent - were obese and predicted a further 6,000 would be dangerously overweight by 2013.

In the report, director of health Max Kammerling said: "We know that obesity affects people in more deprived areas to a greater extent and we think that levels of obesity are above national average in Weston south.