Women who gain more than 40 pounds (18 kg) during pregnancy have nearly twice the risk of delivering a heavy baby as compared to those who gain less weight.
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, babies who weigh more than 9 pounds (4 kg) at birth are considered heavy. A large baby can pose risks for a difficult delivery - increasing the chances of vaginal tearing, bleeding, and caesarian-sections for the mother and the risk of stuck shoulders and broken collar bones for the baby. Studies suggest that these babies are programmed to become overweight or obese later in life.
Researchers from America examined the medical records of 41,540 women who gave birth from 1995-2003. All had been tested for gestational diabetes and 5 percent were treated for it with a programme of diet, exercise and insulin, if needed, to control blood sugar. Overall, 20 percent of the women in the study who gained more than 40 pounds (18 kg) gave birth to heavy babies while fewer than 12 percent of women with normal weight gain delivered heavy babies.
The group at greatest risk were those who gained more than 40 pounds and had gestational diabetes. Nearly 30 percent of these women had heavy babies, compared with 13 percent of women with gestational diabetes who had normal weight gains during pregnancy. Gaining extra weight during pregnancy increases the risk for having heavy babies.
The findings suggest that all women should avoid excessive weight gain during pregnancy and women who are being treated for gestational diabetes should strive to keep weight gain below 40 pounds. Weight gain during pregnancy has been rising over the past two decades, and researchers suspect this may be fueling an epidemic of childhood obesity.
Obstetrics & Gynecology
October 2008
October 2008