Pregnant? Study Sets New Weight Gain Guidelines for Expectant Women

Photo Source: huffingtonpost.com

A study suggests that obese women should not gain any weight at all until they’re halfway through their pregnancies.

Published in the March issue of the journal Obesity, Dr. Jennifer Hutcheon and a team at Magee-Womens Hospital have given guidance for various categories of obese women about what to do with their weight during their pregnancy.

The study has categorized obese pregnant women into groups, giving a more detailed insight on obese women of each category: class I, II are those who have a BMI of 35-39.9, while those under class III have a BMI of greater than 40. Previous guidelines lumped all obese women together.

Compute your BMI:

Researchers studied obese women from all the obese classes who had uncomplicated full-term pregnancies and, based on that, published a guide for the rest who plan on getting pregnant.

Based on the results, the researchers suggested that obese women should not gain any weight until the middle of their pregnancy or even later, depending on their obesity class.

According to Dr. Pari Ghodsi, an OB-Gyn, “morbid obesity is associated with many pregnancy complications such as still birth, gestational diabetes, high blood pressure growth restriction, preterm birth, large babies, labor complications and increased risk for cesarean.”

“This study is the beginning of getting more information depending on the class of obesity, and therefore fine-tuning the current recommendations for weight gain during pregnancy for obese women,” she added. The results will also prove useful to healthcare professionals intending to advice their patients.

Related: Pregnancy Pounds: How Much is Too Much?


Sources:
Feb. 24, 2015. "Obese Women Advised Not to Gain Weight Until Mid-Pregnancy, Says Study". empr.com
Feb. 27, 2015. "Study Offers New Findings on Obesity and Pregnancy". parents.com