Women who do not manage to lose weight after their first pregnancy are at a higher risk of having problems during their second pregnancy and delivery, say doctors from the Harvard School of Public Health, USA, and the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
You can read about this study in The Lancet.
The risk is not only there for women who are overweight between pregnancies, but also for those who put on weight during their first pregnancy, did not lose it afterwards, even though they were still not medically overweight when they became pregnancy for a second time.
The increased risk is for:
— Pre-eclampsia
— Gestational hypertension
— Gestational diabetes
— Cesarean delivery
— Stillbirth
— Babies large for their gestational age
Team member, Dr. Eduardo Villamor, said that the evidence strengthens the argument for causality. He added that the evidence is pretty compelling.
The researchers said the message is clear. If you are of normal weight, try to get back to it between pregnancies. They found that even an increase of two BMI (Body Mass Index) units just before the second pregnancy starts raises the risks.
The study looked at data on 151,025 women who had given birth to a single child during the period 1992-2001.
There was a close correlation between how much a woman gained in weight before her second pregnancy and the level of risk. Just an increase one or two BMI units would raise the risk of developing gestational diabetes and/or gestational hypertension by 20% – 40%. A woman who gained three BMI units had a 63% greater chance of giving birth to a stillborn baby.
“Interpregnancy weight change and risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes: a population-based study”
Dr Eduardo Villamor MD and Sven Cnattingius MD
The Lancet 2006; 368:1164-1170
DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(06)69473-7
Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today