Gaining an inappropriate amount of weight during pregnancy increases the risk of giving birth to an obese child, a new study finds.
Prenatal weight affects infants in many ways. Many studies have been conducted on this subject. A recent study conducted by Kaiser Permanente researchers found that women who gain too much or too little weight during pregnancy may predispose their children to future obesity.
"Gaining either too little or too much weight in pregnancy may permanently affect mechanisms that manage energy balance and metabolism in the offspring, such as appetite control and energy expenditure," said the study's lead author Sneha Sridhar, MPH, Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in a press statement. "This could potentially have long-term effects on the child's subsequent growth and weight."
For the study, researchers examined the electronic health records of 4,145 women who were members of Kaiser Permanente in Northern California. All the women had completed a health survey between 2007 and 2009 and subsequently had a baby. Researchers also looked into the health records of these babies when they were aged 2 and 5 years.
Current weight gain guidelines during pregnancy suggests that obese women should gain between 11 and 20 pounds, overweight women should gain 15 to 25 pounds and normal weight women should gain between 25 and 35 pounds.
Researchers of the study found that 20.4 percent of children born to mothers who gained weight more than the recommended amounts were obese or overweight by the time they were 5 years old. The percentage fell to 19.5 among children born to mothers who gained less weight and 14.5 percent among children born to mothers who gained weight according to the recommended amount.
Researchers also noted that normal weight women who gained less weight during pregnancy were 63 percent more likely to give birth to an obese or overweight infant. Alternatively, if they gained more weight than the recommended amounts, they were 80 percent more likely to give birth to an overweight baby.
"The stronger association we found among normal weight women who gained too much or too little weight during pregnancy suggests that perhaps weight gain in pregnancy may have an impact on the child that is independent of genetic factors," said senior investigator Monique M. Hedderson, PhD, Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, Calif.
The study indirectly debunks the popular notion of "eating for two" when pregnant. Pregnancy generally leads to the consumption of extra calories, which can be harmful for the baby's health in the future. According to current guidelines, the average pregnant woman needs only about 300 healthy calories more a day.
The current study was funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration and findings were published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
