Women who are lean and fit might have babies who are also leaner. This could also affect the child's weight and health later in life. Researchers from the University of Southampton conducted a study of mothers and their newborns, and found that women who had a relatively high percentage of body fat or were self-described slow walkers tended to have fatter babies. While everyone likes a chubby baby, studies have linked overly high birthweight to an increased risk of obesity later in life. Newborn body composition - the body's relative amounts of fat and lean tissue is likely to determine body composition in childhood and adulthood. There are things women can do to foster a healthy body composition in their children even before they're born. Along with not smoking, women should exercise regularly and maintain a healthy weight through a balanced diet before and during pregnancy. The researchers gathered information from 448 women before and during pregnancy. The women reported on their diet and lifestyle habits, and had their weight, height and body fat percentage measured. Their babies' body composition was measured soon after birth. In general, it was found that women with greater fat stores tended to have babies with a higher body fat percentage. The same was true of women who said they typically walked slowly rather than briskly. Taller women also tended to have fatter babies, and women who'd had children before generally had chubbier newborns than first-time mothers did. While women can't change these characteristics, they can do something about their body composition through good nutrition and exercise. On the other end of the spectrum, women who are underweight or don't gain enough weight during pregnancy are at greater risk of having a low birthweight baby. In general, experts recommend that normal-weight women gain 11-16 kg during pregnancy, while overweight women should gain closer to 7-11 kg.
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism,
March 2007