ALMOST a quarter of pregnant women in Southend are obese at their first appointment and some are having “obese” babies, it is claimed.

According to NHS Digital more than 3,000 women were seen by Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in the 12 months up until April.

Of these 23 per cent were in the obese range and 28 per cent deemed overweight.

Health professionals have warned that women could be putting both their own and their baby’s health at risk by not losing weight before getting pregnant.

Including those who are underweight, the majority of newly pregnant women are outside the healthy range.

According to both the NHS and the Royal College of Midwives, obese women are more at risk of a range of complications during pregnancy.

These include a higher chance of miscarriage, high birth weight, gestational diabetes, premature birth, thrombosis, pre-eclampsia and still births.

Tam Fry, spokesman for the National Obesity Forum, said: “Getting into shape before a conception and ensuring that you are eating healthily has been a long advocated message but too few heed it. A woman unhealthily overweight at booking in can not only be a health risk for her foetus but also for herself.

“The increasing number of babies being born already obese is very concerning.”

Clare Livingstone, policy advisor at the Royal College of Midwives, said: “While most overweight and obese women will have a straightforward pregnancy and birth, the risk of complication is increased to both mother and baby.

“Currently there is no consistent UK guidance on safe weight gain in pregnancy.”

More than one in five pregnant women seen by the Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are obese at the time of their first screening.