'Obese Fetus? Let mom pop a pill, doc says'

Dr. Hassan Shehata, a British doctor, has suggested that obese pregnant women should take a pill otherwise meant for those with diabetes. The pill is called metformin. A trial study that is going to involve 2,178 participants already started this past fall and the trial is planned to continue until December 2013. Some women are taking up to 3,000 mg of metformin daily while others are taking a placebo. The doctors are hoping to see a decline in high birth weights (10 lbs or more). “By dropping the baby’s weight, the prevalence of high blood pressure, gestational diabetes and hemorrhage will be lower,” said Dr. Shehata. Metformin works by increasing the body's sensitivity to insulin, subsequently reducing insulin resistance. These are common problems for women towards the end of pregnancy. Also, more and more women are obese and pregnant. There is controversy over how much weight an obese woman should gain. Some people are even saying they should gain little to no weight, or even try lose some weight. Dr. Shehata said “I’m very confident about it and I don’t think there are any issues.”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43114076/ns/health-diabetes/

All the possible complications and birth defects that could go with an obese woman's pregnancy had never really crossed my mind. But it's so sad to think that women who are already struggling to control their own weight must now control another life. Their weight has a negative effect on their unborn baby. I really hope this metformin works because that would be a very helpful breakthrough for many women. With an increasingly obese nation, we can definitely expect more obese pregnant women. Also, I'm sure that a baby's size can be affected by an obese father. Although it's a good thing that a doctor may have found a solution, I also feel like along with being an increasingly obese nation, we are a nation increasingly dependent on pills. There's a pill for almost anything and it's making us lazy! I do understand though that losing weight is very difficult, so in this case, it almost becomes a moral dilemma.