Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Pregnancy Weight Gain

New weight-gain guidelines were released recently. Be sure your pregnant daughter talks to her doctor to find out how much pregnancy weight she should gain during each trimester. Research together how she can eat good food that will benefit her growing baby.

The press release from the Institute of Medicine says:
"Healthy American women at a normal weight for their height (BMI of 18.5 to 24.9) should gain 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy, the new guidelines state.

Underweight women (BMI less than 18.5) should gain more, 28 to 40 pounds.

Overweight women (BMI of 25 to 29.9) should gain less, 15 to 25 pounds.

Obese women (BMI greater than 30) should limit their gain to 11 to 20 pounds."

"For mothers, the ramifications of excess weight gain include increased chances of retaining extra pounds after birth or needing a Caesarean section;

for children the risks include being born preterm or larger than normal with extra fat.

Each of these consequences increases the chances for subsequent health problems -- such as heart disease and diabetes in the case of extra weight, and impaired development in the case of premature birth.

At the same time, adding too few pounds during pregnancy increases risks for stunted fetal growth and preterm delivery."

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