Mothers’ Pregnancy Weight Gain a Factor in Kids’ Health

Researchers from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom have uncovered evidence to support the conclusion that mothers with high weight gain during pregnancy, and mothers who were overweight before conceiving, may attribute their weight issues to weight gain and cardiovascular problems for their children later in life.

Dr. Abigail Fraser, Ph.D. led the study that looked into the issue of gestational weight gain and its future implications for the health of unborn children.  Dr. Fraser identified the time prior to 36 of gestation as the critical time during which mothers may gain excess weight and potentially threaten the health of their babies.  In the study, data from 5,154 mother and child pairs was evaluated.

It was determined by Fraser and her colleagues that mothers who gain more than the amount recommended by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) increased the likelihood having children with higher body mass index, fat mass, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, leptin, interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein levels.  There was also an increased risk of lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein A1 levels in these children.  Additionally, it was determined that excessive weight gain during the critical 14 to 36 week of gestation window was a determining factor in future weight problems for the children later in life.

Being overweight before conceiving was also determined by the study to be a precursor to many undesirable outcomes in children, including future problems with weight, and the threat of cardiovascular trouble at age 9.

The authors of this study conclude that healthy weight before conceiving and an effort to not gain too much during pregnancy can greatly influence the lifelong health of unborn children.  In fact, it was determined that the most important maternal factor in protecting the health of a child over the course of his life was the mother’s pre-pregnancy weight.  The authors write, “Maternal pre-pregnancy weight was more consistently associated with offspring adiposity and a wider range of cardiovascular risk factors in offspring than were any other measurements of gestational weight gain, and this finding supports initiatives aimed at maintaining healthy weight in women of reproductive age.”