Weight change 'harms pregnancy'
Friday, 27 Jul 2007 09:26
Babies' health could be put at risk from mothers' weight fluctuation
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Women who lose or gain weight between pregnancies could be putting their unborn babies' health at risk, doctors warn today.
Two senior obstetricians, Dr Jennifer Walsh and Professor Deirdre Murphy, argue that fluctuating weight can have major health implications for the baby.
Writing in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), they outline the findings from a Swedish study relating to weight gain between pregnancies.
The researchers studied 207,534 women from the beginning of their first pregnancy to the beginning of their second.
They found that if a woman's body mass index (BMI) increased by just one to two units her risk of pre-eclampsia, diabetes and pregnancy-induced blood pressure increased. The baby was also more likely to have a high birth weight.
A rise of more than three BMI units significantly increased the rate of stillbirths.
Dr Walsh and Professor Murphy write that the findings show women of normal weight should avoid gaining weight between pregnancies and overweight or obese women could benefit from weight loss before becoming pregnant.
The second study found that women whose BMI fell by five or more units between pregnancies had a higher risk of giving birth prematurely than women whose weight remained stable or increased.
This risk was significantly higher (80 per cent) for women who had already had a premature birth than those who had not (28 per cent).
"Women are at increased risk of different but equally serious adverse pregnancy outcomes if they gain or lose an excessive amount of weight between pregnancies," Dr Walsh and Professor Murphy write.
"Although apparently conflicting, these studies show how important it is to attain and maintain a normal healthy weight before, during, and after pregnancy."
By doing so, they add, women can bring "long-term health benefits for [them] and their babies".
"Certainly, any woman who has had a poor obstetric outcome should be encouraged to achieve an optimal weight before planning another pregnancy. The challenge for many women of achieving a stable body mass index cannot be underestimated, and this may require professional support and advice," Dr Walsh and Professor Murphy conclude.