Obese kids face bigger surgery risks

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Feb. 23 (UPI) -- A U.S. study suggests that obese children are more likely to have breathing problems during surgery.

University of Michigan researchers said obese children were found to have a higher rate of difficult mask ventilation, airway obstruction, major oxygen desaturation and other airway problems, the U-M Health System said Friday in a release.

The findings are published in the journal Anesthesiology.

Researchers studied the experiences of 2,025 children who were having elective surgery. The obese children had higher rates of asthma, hypertension, sleep apnea and Type II diabetes, which can contribute to breathing problems during surgery, the report said.