SAN DIEGO (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation) -- Birth defects, premature birth, and other severe health problems in tomorrow's babies are linked to the soaring rates of obesity among women of childbearing age, according to a new report released by the March of Dimes Task Force on Nutrition and Optimal Human Development.

"Weight before pregnancy matters much more than people realize, even health professionals," says Richard J. Deckelbaum, M.D., Professor of Nutrition at Columbia University, New York, and chairman of the March of Dimes Task Force, speaking at a press conference. "For the moms, there are serious complications such as gestational diabetes, dangerously high blood pressure, and hospitalization; and for the babies, prematurity, serious birth defects and other severe problems. And when these babies grow up, they are more likely to suffer from obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other health problems. Obesity is particularly dangerous for women of childbearing age because it creates a life cycle of serious problems that can be passed from generation to generation."

More than 450,000 babies are born prematurely each year in the U.S., and the rate of premature birth has increased 23 percent since the early 1980s. Dr. Deckelbaum cites two recent articles on the serious hazards and lifelong consequences of prematurity that appeared in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Dr. Deckelbaum urges women to prepare for their future children by eating "family-friendly" or "baby-friendly" portion sizes to reduce caloric intake, limiting second helpings, and getting more physical exercise.

"Nutrition Today Matters Tomorrow: A Report From the March of Dimes Task Force on Nutrition and Optimal Human Development" also advises new approaches to vitamin and mineral deficiencies, unhealthy nutrition, exposure to unsafe food and water, and poor growth and development among children in the United States and worldwide.

"This report is a blueprint of practical answers for a healthier tomorrow for people in the United States and around the world," says Dr. Deckelbaum. "We hope it will inspire health providers, community leaders, and policy makers at all levels."

The March of Dimes Task Force on Nutrition and Optimal Human Development, created in 1999, consists of 29 nutrition scientists, administrators, and policy makers from organizations such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the World Health Organization, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.