Recent studies have shown that there has been an increase in the number of women who are overweight when pregnant.

Earlier this week, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) advised mothers-to-be to lose weight in order to protect their children's health.

This comes after recent research from the Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital in Dublin showed that at least 28 per cent of pregnant women surveyed were obese.

It also revealed that 13 per cent had a Body Mass Index (BMI) of between 30 and 40, while two per cent were morbidly obese, with a BMI of over 40.

The study highlighted the risks being obese poses for pregnant women, with 42.1 per cent of morbidly obese mothers having to be induced compared with 23.5 per cent of healthy women.

Caesareans are also more common among those who are overweight, with 45.3 per cent of morbidly obese women having to have one.

Guidance recently produced by Nice aimed to encourage women with a BMI of above 30 to consider the health risks of gaining too much weight during pregnancy.

Written by Donal Walsh

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