Children whose mothers gain too much weight during pregnancy tend to have more body fat than those whose mothers stayed within the recommended weight-gain range.
Children whose mothers gain too much weight during pregnancy tend to have more body fat than those whose mothers stayed within the recommended weight-gain range.
Research in animals has shown that the fetal environment, including a mother's diet, helps programming a child's future appetite regulation, metabolism and predisposition to weight gain, though little is known about these effects in humans.
To examine the relation of pregnancy weight gain with neonatal and childhood body composition, researchers, identified 948 British infants and followed them till they turned 6 years old. The researchers took record of their weight at birth, and when they turned 4 and 6 years old. The researchers used an X-ray technique called dual X-ray absorptiometry to measure body composition of the children at birth and ages 4 and 6 years. Pregnancy weight was derived from mothers' measured weights before pregnancy and at 34 week gestation.
Half of the mothers in the study gained more weight during pregnancy than recommended by the U.S. Institute of Medicine (IOM). On average, their children had more body fat at each measurement than those born to mothers whose weight gain fell within the IOM recommendations. The relationship between pregnancy weight gain and children's body fat at age 6 remained after the researchers factored in a number of other variables - including children's birth weight, mothers' education levels and whether and how long the children were breastfed. The link with children's body fat levels at age 4 years, however, was no longer significant when other variables were factored in.
The study does not prove that mothers' extra weight during pregnancy, per se, cause their children to put on more body fat. However, the results add to evidence linking mother's pregnancy weight gain to their kids' chances of becoming overweight.
Research in animals has shown that the fetal environment, including a mother's diet, helps programming a child's future appetite regulation, metabolism and predisposition to weight gain, though little is known about these effects in humans.
To examine the relation of pregnancy weight gain with neonatal and childhood body composition, researchers, identified 948 British infants and followed them till they turned 6 years old. The researchers took record of their weight at birth, and when they turned 4 and 6 years old. The researchers used an X-ray technique called dual X-ray absorptiometry to measure body composition of the children at birth and ages 4 and 6 years. Pregnancy weight was derived from mothers' measured weights before pregnancy and at 34 week gestation.
Half of the mothers in the study gained more weight during pregnancy than recommended by the U.S. Institute of Medicine (IOM). On average, their children had more body fat at each measurement than those born to mothers whose weight gain fell within the IOM recommendations. The relationship between pregnancy weight gain and children's body fat at age 6 remained after the researchers factored in a number of other variables - including children's birth weight, mothers' education levels and whether and how long the children were breastfed. The link with children's body fat levels at age 4 years, however, was no longer significant when other variables were factored in.
The study does not prove that mothers' extra weight during pregnancy, per se, cause their children to put on more body fat. However, the results add to evidence linking mother's pregnancy weight gain to their kids' chances of becoming overweight.
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