A study finds that obese women should lose weight instead of gain weight during their pregnancy. Researchers are saying by doing so it could avoid problems during birth. A study done in St. Louis University found that limiting weight gain during pregnancy can decrease the chances of developing preeclampsia.
Preeclampsia is a dangerous condition that occurs in 5 to 8 percent of all pregnancies, and is characterized by high blood pressure and the presence of protein in the urine. Also known as toxemia, preeclampsia and other hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are a leading cause of maternal and infant illness and death, responsible for 76,000 deaths each year according to conservative estimates.This study was conducted on more than 120,000 obese, pregnant women in Missouri. Obese women don't necessarily have to gain extra weight to have a good pregnancy.
Women with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 35 are recommended to gain fewer than the currently recommended 15 pounds, guidelines that were first recommended by the Institute of Medicine in 1990. A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered normal weight. “This study confirms what we’ve suspected all along—that obese women don’t have to gain any weight during their pregnancy,” said Raul Artal, M.D., study author and chairman of the department of obstetrics, gynecology and women’s health at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. “Guidelines for nutrition during pregnancy at that time were based solely on expert opinion and not on scientific data. Obesity was not the problem it is now. Fifty percent of Missouri’s population is either overweight or obese. The problem is also prevalent in many other states in the country.”This is very good research for obese women who are looking to get pregnant or currently are. If you would like to read the complete article please click here. preeclampsia pregnant obese overweight study pregnancy weekly pregnancy
2 comments:
This information is completely outdated. In fact, it is malnutrition that causes toxemia...eating too little or too little of the right things, especially protein and salt. That is why toxemia more commonly affects those who either live in poverty or those who are uneducated about pregnancy nutrition. Your body cannot function properly if it is not given the proper "fuel" while pregnant and the kidneys and liver begin to malfunction when this is the case. Pregnancy is NOT the time to lose/maintain weight or focus on weight. It is the time to educate yourself about nutrition and how important it is to your baby. For any one interested, Dr. Brewer gives a great scientific explanation of this concept.
This information is completely outdated. In fact, it is malnutrition that causes toxemia...eating too little or too little of the right things, especially protein and salt. That is why toxemia more commonly affects those who either live in poverty or those who are uneducated about pregnancy nutrition. Your body cannot function properly if it is not given the proper "fuel" while pregnant and the kidneys and liver begin to malfunction when this is the case. Pregnancy is NOT the time to lose/maintain weight or focus on weight. It is the time to educate yourself about nutrition and how important it is to your baby. For any one interested, Dr. Brewer gives a great scientific explanation of this concept.
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