Gaining weight between pregnancies may threaten babies’ survival

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/gaining-weight-between-pregnancies-may-threaten-babies-survival/2015/12/09/cfa10378-9dbb-11e5-8728-1af6af208198_story.html

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Being overweight or obese during a pregnancy can be problematic for mother and babies.

Might weight gained between pregnancies also pose risks?

THIS STUDY analyzed data on 456,711 women who gave birth twice in a 20-year span. About 46 percent of the women had kept their weight stable between their pregnancies, 13 percent had lost weight and 41 percent had gained. Of the second babies, 1,082 were stillborn, 544 died within 28 days of birth and 943 died within a year.

The more weight women gained, the greater the risk to their babies’ survival.

For instance, the risk for stillbirth increased 50 percent for women who gained 24 pounds or more between pregnancies, compared with women whose weight stayed the same. Among women who had kept their weight at a healthy level during their first pregnancy, those who gained about 13 pounds before becoming pregnant again increased by 27 percent the chances that their second child would die before age 1, compared with women whose weight stayed stable.

That risk rose by 60 percent if they gained 24 pounds or more between pregnancies. However, women who had been overweight during their first pregnancy but lost at least 13 pounds before getting pregnant again reduced by 50 percent the likelihood of their baby’s dying within a month of birth.

WHO MAY BE AFFECTED? Women who are pregnant or intend to become pregnant. In the United States, about 60 percent of adult women are overweight or obese. Excess weight during pregnancy has been shown to make women more apt to develop high blood pressure and diabetes, and can make the babies they are carrying more likely to face risks for congenital heart defects and premature birth.

CAVEATS The study did not determine why or how weight change between pregnancies may affect infant mortality. Factors not accounted for in the study, such as the women’s diet or alcohol consumption, may have affected the results.

FIND THIS STUDY Dec. 2 online issue of the Lancet (thelancet.com; under “Online First” click on “View more Research articles”).

LEARN MORE ABOUT having a healthy pregnancy at nichd.nih.gov/health (search for “preconception care”) and familydoctor.org (search for “taking care”).

The research described in Quick Study comes from credible, peer-reviewed journals.