Gaining weight between pregnancies could lead to pregnancy com...( n between first and second pregnancies ...),Health

n between first and second pregnancies was associated with an increased risk of all these overweight and obesity-related adverse outcomes. A gain of one to two BMI units increased the risk of gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension or large-for-gestational age birth an average of 20 to 40 percent. A gain of three or more BMI units showed a 63 percent greater chance of stillbirth compared to a gain of less than one BMI unit and also a greater effect on all other complications. Additionally, the researchers found that the risk of adverse outcomes increased even in women who were not overweight, but who gained a modest amount of weight between pregnancies. For example, if a woman who was 5 ft., 5 in., tall and weighed 139 lbs. (giving her a BMI of 23, not considered overweight) gained 6.6 lbs. (1 BMI unit) between her first and second pregnancies, her average risk of gestational diabetes would increase by more than 30 percent. If she gained 12.2 pounds (2 BMI units), her risk would increase 100 percent. The risk would continue to climb if she gained more weight and became obese.

"Previous studies had looked at the risk of pregnancy complications in relation to a single snapshot measure of pre-pregnant weight, and found that obesity appeared to increase the frequency of such complications," said Villamor. "In this study, we went further back in time to look at how women arrived at that pre-pregnant weight. It turns out that women do not need to become overweight or obese in order to increase their chances of having poor gestational outcomes; only a relatively modest increase in weight between pregnancies could lead to serious illnesses. In addition, weight loss in overweight women appeared to lower their risk of pregnancy complications."

One limitation of the study was that it was not possible to differentiate whether weight gain between pregnancies could have been due to lack of weight loss after the first pregnancy, excessive weight gain durin
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Contact: Todd Datz
tdatz@hsph.harvard.edu
617-432-3952
Harvard School of Public Health
28-Sep-2006

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