Excessive pregnancy weight gain linked to child’s heart risk
Details of the study
To reach this conclusion, researchers at the University of Bristol looked at 6,700 women, participants of Bristol-based Children of the 90s survey which gathered information on pregnancy weight gain.
For the study, the researchers tracked these women as well as their offspring for a nine-year period, starting in 1981.
The researchers then compared the collected data with recommended range of weight gain during pregnancy, according to the University Institute of Medicine in the United States.
Together with maternal weight gain, data on child body measurement and blood pressure was also collected during the study period.
Outcome of the study
Analysis of the data revealed that when a woman’s weight exceeded the recommended range, the child was heavier at nine years of age compared to children of mothers who gained the recommended weight.
The children of overweight pregnant mothers reported waist measurements larger by two cm and excess body fat by one kg compared to children of normal weight pregnant mothers.
Overall, too much pregnancy weight gain increased a child’s risk of having high body fat, low levels of good cholesterol, a big waistline, high blood pressure, and other risk factors for heart disease, the researchers said.
Co-author Dr Abigail Fraser, from the Medical Research Council's centre at Bristol University was quoted by the Daily Mail as saying, “Our research show that perhaps even more important than the weight gained in pregnancy is how much a woman weighs before she gets pregnant.
“We know from previous findings that obese women face more complications in pregnancy and giving birth.
“Now it's clear that those who put on the most weight during the nine months risk their children having less good health outcomes several years later.”
The study suggests that in order to ensure healthy lives for their kids, women should try to achieve an ideal body weight during pregnancy.
Findings of the study have been reported in the latest edition of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.