Priority Population Identification and Rationale in obese pregnant women (Essay Sample)

Priority Population Identification and Rationale in obese pregnant women
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A person can be said to be obese if their accumulated body fat can affect their health negatively. One is considered to be obese if there Body Mass Index is above thirty. Its common cause is the combination of the failure of exercising, food intake that is excessive and someone's genes. Obesity for pregnant women can majorly impact their health and that of the baby. However, one should note that the Body Mass Index can mislead someone. For example, professional athletes and weightlifters can have a high BMI due to the fact that they have muscle mass that is high and not body fat that is excess.
A pregnant woman who is obese has an increased risk of complications that are pregnancy-related like cardiac dysfunction, stillbirth, miscarriage, and pre-eclampsia (Boney, 2005). Pre-eclampsia is a pregnancy disorder which is caused by the onset of blood pressure and the composition of protein in one's urine. It starts after the 5th month of pregnancy. It can also lead to having a child who is larger than normal and who has birth defects. An obese pregnant woman will require close monitoring by her doctor where a glucose challenge examination can be recommended between the 6th and 7th month of pregnancy. This is a test that is performed to check the blood sugar levels of a pregnant woman. In cases where the results come out abnormal then further tests are done and the woman is advised on ways of monitoring and controlling her blood sugar.