In addition, the babies of obese mothers are more likely to be admitted to neonatal intensive care units. They also have a higher incidence of neural tube defects.

It was 48 hours after delivering her first baby, a 9.1-pound boy, that Simone Brooks was told he wasn't breathing properly and had to be moved to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

While 67% of babies required admission to the neonatal intensive care unit at 34 weeks, only 7% of those born at 38 weeks required the same care.