Already overweight expectant mothers are piling on excess weight and choosing fat-laden foods over fruit and vegetables, putting them and their babies at risk of chronic health problems.

Health experts are concerned at the findings of a new Australian study, which has shown very few women achieved the recommended food group servings for pregnancy, and more than half (52 per cent) gained excess weight during pregnancy.

The Brisbane researchers surveyed 50 overweight and obese pregnant women on their dietary intake and weight gain during and shortly-after pregnancy. The women were aged 18 to 45 years.

Only 10 per cent of participants achieved the recommendations for vegetables, and just one in four (26 per cent) ate enough fruit.

None of the women met the recommendation for dietary iron, only 11 per cent took in enough dietary folate, a nutrient needed to help prevent neural tube defects in babies, and just 38 per cent ate enough calcium. There was little change in kilojoule intakes through the pregnancy and no improvement in fat intake.

The authors of the study say the findings are ‘concerning’ and suggest an urgent need to target overweight and obese women with early education and support to achieve appropriate weight gain and good nutrition during pregnancy.

Study co-author Susan de Jersey, an Accredited Practising Dietitian, said maternal obesity is the most common factor in ‘high risk’ pregnancies, with more than one-third of all pregnancies complicated by maternal overweight and obesity.

And she said her research found a strong link between weight gain in pregnancy and keeping that weight on post-delivery.

‘Less than one in five participants in our study recalled being spoken to by a health professional about their optimal weight gain during pregnancy,’ said Ms de Jersey. She said providing personal weight gain goals and more targeted, individual dietary advice could lead to more appropriate weight gain in women during pregnancy.

Claire Hewat, the CEO of Australia’s peak nutrition body, the Dietitians Association of Australia, said: ‘You’re more likely to make a difference during pregnancy because women are in contact with health services and they can be more motivated to improve their lifestyle.’ Ms Hewat is calling for better access to Accredited Practising Dietitians (APDs), which she says will help set women on the right path to improving their own health, and the health of the next generation.

She said APDs want to prevent chronic disease, not wait until it is entrenched, but that is all the government will fund.

The findings were published this month in the journal of the Dietitians Association of Australia, Nutrition & Dietetics.

Background:

– Obese pregnant women and their babies are at increased risk of pregnancy complications and long-term chronic disease. Health authority recommendations suggest normal weight women gain 11.5-16kg during pregnancy, overweight women 7-11.5kg, and obese women 5-9kg.

Source: Dietitians Association of Australia (DAA)