More reason to get healthy even before the baby comes.

We know that obesity is associated with many illnesses, from diabetes to heart conditions. Now we can add an increased risk for birth defects in babies carried by overweight mothers. This comes from an analysis conducted by US researchers and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Obesity is defined as those who have a BMI or body mass index of 29 or higher.

Researchers report that women who were obese before pregnancy were more than twice as likely to have a baby born with spina bifida or other neural tube defects. Obese women are also more likely to have babies with heart problems, cleft palate, cleft lip, abnormal rectum or anus development and hydrocephaly or excess build-up of fluid in the brain.

The Journal of the American Medical Association cited researchers’ theories to explain obsesity’s link to those abnormalities. First, many obese women tend to have undiagnosed diabetes — a disease that leads to abnormal fetal development. Second, overweight mothers-to-be are most likely not eating properly and so are not receiving adequate nutrition. Third, it is highly possible obese women do not have enough nutrients like folic acid found in green leafy vegetables. Folic acid is vital to preventing birth defects — particularly spinal or neural tube defects.

If you are planning to start a family, it’s best to get into shape before getting pregnant. This doesn’t mean just shedding pounds through fad diets. This means eating a balanced diet and exercising, as well as making sure you are cleared for diabetes.

Even before the pregnancy test turns positive, add a folic acid supplement to your daily vitamin regimen. Studies have shown that women who get 400 micrograms (0.4 milligrams) daily prior to conception and during early pregnancy reduce the risk that their baby will be born with a serious neural tube defect (a birth defect involving incomplete development of the brain and spinal cord) by up to 70 percent.