A recent study found that excessive weight gain during pregnancy increases the risk of the pregnant woman dying later.
The study was conducted by researchers from the Yong Lo Lin College of Medicine, National University of Singapore, and was published in The Lancet, and written about by the Eurek Alert website.
Weight gain is a common phenomenon during pregnancy, but excessive gain may be a sign of harmful health problems for mothers.
The effect of this weight gain is usually associated with increased postpartum weight retention, pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes, pregnancy-induced high blood pressure, as well as an increased likelihood of needing a caesarean section. However, its long-term effects have been unknown until now.
Researchers led by Professor Kuilin Zhang found that for women with a BMI in the normal range who were overweight, excessive weight gain during pregnancy was associated with a 9% to 12% increase in the risk of death from all causes, respectively.
BMI is a number calculated using a person’s height and weight, and is a reliable indicator in most cases to assess overweight or underweight in most people. The researchers found that the index is usually related to the percentage of fat in the body, and therefore it is an indicator of the amount of fat a person has, and it is also a means of assessing health risks using the person’s weight and height.
How is body mass index calculated?
The body mass index (BMI) – also known as body mass index – is calculated by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by the square of his height in metres. For example, if a person’s height is 170 centimeters and his weight is 75 kilograms, then 170 centimeters are converted to meters, and it becomes 1.7, then divide the weight by its square:
75/2 (1.7) and the result in this case is 25.95.
The normal body mass index is defined as 18.5 to 24.9. The BMI for overweight is defined as 25.0 to 29.9.
The study included an analysis of data from more than 46,000 women from 1959 to 1965, and the researchers estimated the association between weight gain during pregnancy, its loss, and mortality.
The study results included all-cause mortality, which refers to death from any cause, and cause-specific mortality, such as death from diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Excessive weight gain in women whose pre-pregnancy BMI was within the normal range or who were underweight increased the risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 84% and 20%, respectively. Meanwhile, women with a BMI in the overweight range had a 77% higher risk of dying from diabetes.
“Promoting women’s health and achieving healthy longevity must begin early in a woman’s life,” Professor Zhang said. “In particular, women’s health at reproductive age and during pregnancy are critical time points that have long-term health impacts throughout their lives.”
Recommended amount of weight gain during pregnancy:
This breakdown shows the recommended gain by pre-pregnancy BMI categories:
- Women who are underweight based on BMI (less than 18.5): 12.5-18 kilograms.
- Normal weight women based on BMI (18.5-24.9): 11.5-16 kilograms.
- Overweight women based on BMI (25.0-29.9): 7-11.5 kilograms.
- Obese women based on BMI (over 30.0): 5-9 kilograms.
