|
Too much or too little weight gain poses risks to pregnant mothers, babies
May 08, 2008CHAPEL HILL - Women who gain more or less than recommended amounts of weight during pregnancy are likely to increase the risk of problems for both themselves and their child, according to a new report by the RTI International-University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Evidence-based Practice Center.
The report, which was supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) in partnership with the American Dietetic Association, is based on a systematic review of 150 studies that assessed the short- and long-term effects of maternal weight gain on pregnancy, mothers, fetuses, and children. The studies were published in English between January 1990 and October 2007.
Among the report's key findings is a strong association between high maternal weight gain and increased fetal growth and infant birth weight, which can contribute to complications during labor if a baby is too big, and can lead to long term health effects for the child. High maternal weight gain also is associated with cesarean delivery and weight retention by mothers after childbirth.
The review also confirmed that gaining too little weight during pregnancy can be a problem. Low maternal weight gain is associated with poor fetal growth, lower birth weight, and the chance of a baby being born prematurely.
The report was prompted by several trends, including an increase in the number of American women who are overweight and obese, as well as the number who gain more weight during pregnancy than amounts laid out in the Institute of Medicine's 1990 recommendations for maternal weight gain. Public health officials also are concerned about an increase in pregnancy complications such as diabetes and cesarean delivery.
The Institute of Medicine is currently reviewing its pregnancy weight guidelines to see if they need to be revised; it expects to issue a report next summer.
"Unfortunately, the existing body of research on maternal weight gain is inadequate to permit a more comprehensive assessment," said Meera Viswanathan, Ph.D., the study director and a senior research analyst at RTI International. "Most beneficial would be an analysis that considers the risks and potential benefits of various maternal weight-gain scenarios to all women - irrespective of age, race or ethnicity, or their body mass index before they became pregnant. But such an analysis is not possible at this time."
Her research colleague at UNC, Anna Maria Siega-Riz, Ph.D., agreed.
"Despite the large body of research, clear clinical recommendations based on this systematic review will be challenging to formulate because of major shortcomings in this research," said Siega-Riz, an associate professor in the UNC School of Public Health's epidemiology and nutrition departments. "To fully understand the effects of maternal weight gain on short- and long-term health outcomes for both women and infants, future studies will need to adopt standard measures and consistent definitions of exposures and outcomes."
The researchers said future studies will need to examine multiple outcomes within the same study population to explore fully the trade-offs between the risks and benefits to the mother and to the child.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The review also confirmed that gaining too little weight during pregnancy can be a problem. Low maternal weight gain is associated with poor fetal growth, lower birth weight, and the chance of a baby being born prematurely.
The report was prompted by several trends, including an increase in the number of American women who are overweight and obese, as well as the number who gain more weight during pregnancy than amounts laid out in the Institute of Medicine's 1990 recommendations for maternal weight gain. Public health officials also are concerned about an increase in pregnancy complications such as diabetes and cesarean delivery.
The Institute of Medicine is currently reviewing its pregnancy weight guidelines to see if they need to be revised; it expects to issue a report next summer.
"Unfortunately, the existing body of research on maternal weight gain is inadequate to permit a more comprehensive assessment," said Meera Viswanathan, Ph.D., the study director and a senior research analyst at RTI International. "Most beneficial would be an analysis that considers the risks and potential benefits of various maternal weight-gain scenarios to all women - irrespective of age, race or ethnicity, or their body mass index before they became pregnant. But such an analysis is not possible at this time."
Her research colleague at UNC, Anna Maria Siega-Riz, Ph.D., agreed.
"Despite the large body of research, clear clinical recommendations based on this systematic review will be challenging to formulate because of major shortcomings in this research," said Siega-Riz, an associate professor in the UNC School of Public Health's epidemiology and nutrition departments. "To fully understand the effects of maternal weight gain on short- and long-term health outcomes for both women and infants, future studies will need to adopt standard measures and consistent definitions of exposures and outcomes."
The researchers said future studies will need to examine multiple outcomes within the same study population to explore fully the trade-offs between the risks and benefits to the mother and to the child.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Weight Gain News and Current Weight Gain Events RSSYerkes researchers find link between psychological stress and overeating
Researchers at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, have found socially subordinate female rhesus macaques over consume calorie-rich foods at a significantly higher level than do dominant females.
New technique determines that the number of fat cells remains constant in all body types
The radioactive carbon-14 produced by above-ground nuclear testing in the 1950s and '60s has helped researchers determine that the number of fat cells in a human's body, whether lean or obese, is established during the teenage years. Changes in fat mass in adulthood can be attributed mainly to changes in fat cell volume, not an increase in the actual number of fat cells.
Gene sequence that can make half of us fatter is discovered
A gene sequence linked to an expanding waist line, weight gain and a tendency to develop type 2 diabetes has been discovered as part of a study published today in the journal Nature Genetics.
Researchers reveal structure of protein that repairs damage to cancer cells
A team of University of Chicago scientists has shown how two proteins locate and repair damaged genetic material inside cells.
International health experts to enlist the public in war on African malaria
Philanthropy just got easier and a lot more accessible to the public thanks to the social networking power of the Internet and a ground-breaking partnership between a young British entrepreneur, a global health think tank and an African medical research institute.
How and where fat is stored predicts disease risk better than weight
A new study in mice indicates that overeating, rather than the obesity it causes, is the trigger for developing metabolic syndrome, a collection of heath risk factors that increases an individual's chances of developing insulin resistance, fatty liver, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Association between low birth weight, excessive weight gain and heart problems in later life
Researchers who have followed 5,840 people from before birth to the age of 31 have found evidence suggesting that small size at birth and excessive weight gain during adolescence and young adulthood may lead to low grade inflammation, which, in turn, is associated with an increased risk of developing heart disease.
No 'convincing evidence' that glitazones work better than older diabetes drugs
There is no convincing evidence that the newer class of diabetes drugs, known as glitazones, offer real advantages over other diabetes drugs, when used on their own, concludes the Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (DTB).
Treatment With An Antipsychotic Drug Found To Cause Changes In Metabolism Earlier Than Expected
Schizophrenia is a complex type of psychotic mental illness characterized by thoughts that are uncoupled from reality.
Fabled 'Freshman 15' pound gain more often only 5, report researchers
The "freshman 15" - the rapid weight gain believed to afflict many new college students when they begin school - appears to be a bit of an urban legend: a cautionary tale often told but not well substantiated.
More Weight Gain News Articles
| © 2008 BrightSurf.com |