Jumat, 18 Mei 2012

Eating for two? Piling on the pounds during pregnancy can increase risk of diabetes and high blood pressure

Eating for two? Piling on the pounds during pregnancy can increase risk of diabetes and high blood pressure

By Jenny Hope

PUBLISHED: 18:22 EST, 17 May 2012 | UPDATED: 04:36 EST, 18 May 2012


Risks: According to research women who pile on the pounds during pregnancy could risk health issues (picture posed by model)

Risks: According to research women who pile on the pounds during pregnancy could risk health issues (picture posed by model)

Pregnant women should watch the calories because eating for two could increase the risk of complications, warn researchers.

They found that mothers who minimised weight gain through a healthy, calorie-controlled diet were less likely to suffer life-threatening pre-eclampsia.

Researchers from Queen Mary, University of London, said helping women with ‘weight management methods’ had no ill-effects on their babies and prevented complications including diabetes, high blood pressure and premature birth.

Controlled diets reduced weight gain during pregnancy by nearly half a stone on average when compared to women who were not given advice.

Their study, published on bmj.com, also claimed that eating for two during pregnancy could leave women saddled with the extra pounds for life.

Around 15 per cent of British women are obese when expecting a child â€" up from 7 per cent 20 years ago.

Doctors have warned that babies born to overweight women are at greater risk in later life of diabetes and obesity themselves.

Consultant obstetrician Dr Shakila Thangaratinam, who led the study, said: ‘We are seeing more and more women who gain excess weight when they are pregnant.

‘These women and their babies are at increased risk of complications. Weight control is difficult, but this study shows that by carefully advising women on weight management methods, especially diet, we can reduce weight gain during pregnancy.

‘It also shows that following a controlled diet has the potential to reduce the risk of a number of pregnancy complications.

‘Women may be concerned that dieting during pregnancy could have a negative impact on their babies. This research is reassuring because it showed dieting is safe and the baby’s weight isn’t affected.’

In the UK, around a third of women gain more than the recommended amount of weight during pregnancy. Dr Thangaratinam  said that many fail to shed these pounds before embarking on another pregnancy.

Apparently around a third of all women in the UK put on more weight than is recommended during pregnancy

Apparently around a third of all women in the UK put on more weight than is recommended during pregnancy

‘They have their second child without managing to lose the weight left from the previous pregnancy, and some women never manage to shift it,’ she said.

The research assessed the results of 44 separate studies using data on more than 7,000 women to investigate the effect of diet, exercise, or a combination of the two on the mother’s weight and risk of problems for mother or child.

In some of the studies, expectant women were restricted to 1,800-2,400 calories a day â€" the recommended intake for an average woman who is not pregnant is 2,000 calories per day.

The analysis showed that pregnant women who followed a diet were 33 per cent less likely to develop pre-eclampsia, which raises blood pressure and can lead to strokes and even death.

Their risk of gestational diabetes was 60 per cent lower, their risk of gestational high blood pressure was 70 per cent lower and the risk of premature birth was 32 per cent lower.

There have been fears that dieting might lead to a drop in babies’ birthweights, but according to the study it was unaffected.

Jane Brewin, of pregnancy research charity Tommy’s, said: ‘There is growing evidence to re-evaluate current guidelines for weight management during pregnancy.’

Here's what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.

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Kal, the average normal human baby weighs over 7lb at birth on its own - so a healthy mother should have been carrying quite a bit more weight than that by the end of pregnancy. (You know, all those unimportant-seeming things like the placenta, amniotic fluid, extra breast tissue, extra blood cells, enlarged uterus etc.) - Laura, Herts, UK, 18/5/2012 14:05 Apologies Laura. Yes you are right but i wouldn't think (including the baby) you would add any more then 25-30 pounds all together. Most of that weight as mentioned will go quite quickly after birth as it's not required by the body. Fat arms/legs/belly etc won't disappear and is only added through eating badly! That's the kind of extra weight the article is referring to

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Having been on both sides, I know the value of this advice. I put on four stone with my first baby 14 years ago, having been advised to eat for two and stop exercising! I struggled for years to lose that weight. I had my second baby a year ago and did the exact opposite, ate a healthy diet and kept up with my usual gym routine until 39 weeks. Result, 1 stone gained, 9lb 2oz baby and 5 extra pounds that came off within a couple of weeks. What a difference! Of course, this doesn't apply to everybody and I know a few very slim people who just balloon with pregnancy regardless of what they do.

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Kal, the average normal human baby weighs over 7lb at birth on its own - so a healthy mother should have been carrying quite a bit more weight than that by the end of pregnancy. (You know, all those unimportant-seeming things like the placenta, amniotic fluid, extra breast tissue, extra blood cells, enlarged uterus etc.)

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Can we file this under "No- bleep-, Sherlock"?

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"My mother's generation never used to eat for two and she and her peers never piled on the pounds as girls are doing these days. Following her lead, I didn't eat for two for both of mine either and I only put on 7 pounds each time. There was no 'baby weight' to lose. I simply ate a good, balanced diet." Say it as it is, UK, 18/5/2012 7:20============================ 7 pounds?! What did you give birth to - a grasshopper? - Laura, Herts, UK, 18/5/2012 11:44 Errr a normal baby maybe? NOT a elephant with some fat left with the mother too!

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Some people just gain a lot when pregnant - and I'm one of them. I am a naturally slim person who loves healthy food , and normally, never have issues with my weight. But as soon as I get pregnant, the pounds pile on. I go to the gym, reject sugary carbs etc and eat lots of vegetables, but don't go overboard on calories - I probably eat more healthily when I'm pregnant - but I don't eat more food than my non pregnant self. However, my body just stores fat, and I'm lucky if I can come out of the whole thing without a 30lb weight gain... Having said that, I also have very healthy pregnancies, low blood pressure and lots of energy in the second and third trimesters.... Everyone is different.

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"My mother's generation never used to eat for two and she and her peers never piled on the pounds as girls are doing these days. Following her lead, I didn't eat for two for both of mine either and I only put on 7 pounds each time. There was no 'baby weight' to lose. I simply ate a good, balanced diet." Say it as it is, UK, 18/5/2012 7:20============================ 7 pounds?! What did you give birth to - a grasshopper?

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There is more to pre-eclampsia than just weight. Usually it affects the first pregnancy rather than the second, though it can affect subsequent pregnancies. I was at my ideal weight when pregnant, couldn't keep fod down and lost weight. I got pre-eclampsia and my son was born 3 months prematurely by c-section. From what I have read, pre-eclampsia is more a maternal immune reaction to the foetus.

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In 1971 I gained only 15lbs during my pregnancy due to dreadful heartburn throughout. I drank 2 pints of milk a day and ate 2 eggs - just about all i could keep down. The Thalidomide tragedy made doctors reluctant to prescribe anti sickness pills. My healthy son weighed 9lbs 2oz and I came out of hospital half a stone lighter than at the start of my pregnancy. It was wonderful to get back into my pre pregnancy clothes, which of course fitted even better than before.

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Mmm... Last week we were told restricting calories when pregnant harmed the baby in future life.

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