Pregnant women should not eat for two, study says
Updated 03:45 PM May 18, 2012
LONDON - Pregnant women who eat for two and gain too much weight are at greater risk of having complications than those who stick to a healthy diet, research has found.
Staying on a healthy diet while pregnant is a safe and effective way of avoiding gaining too much weight, researchers found.
Exercise or a combination of exercise and diet were not as effective, it was found.
The Daily Telegraph reported that women who went on diets gained four kilos less than those who did not and their risk of suffering pre-eclampsia, a potentially life threatening condition involving high blood pressure, was reduced by a third.
They were also 61 per cent less likely to develop gestational diabetes, 70 per cent less likely to have high blood pressure and were a third less likely to give birth prematurely.
The baby was also less likely to suffer a shoulder injury associated with getting stuck but there was no difference in other factors, such as caesearean section deliveries, or induction of labour.
Birthweight of the babies was not affected by the diet, the researchers said.
The research, involved studying data from 44 studies on more than 7,000 women.
Three interventions were investigated, diet which included a calorie controlled diet, advice on a healthy diet and a very prescriptive diet specified by a dietician; exercise including specific instructions on type and duration of activities, and a combination of both. All three interventions were compared to similar groups who were given standard advice.
But the team of researchers from Queen Mary, University of London, who carried out the study found weight management interventions in pregnancy were effective in reducing weight gain in the mother.
Dietary intervention resulted in the largest average reduction in weight gain (almost 4kg) compared with 0.7kg for exercise and 1kg for a combination of the two.
The research was led by Dr Shakila Thangaratinam, a Clinical Senior Lecturer and Consultant Obstetrician at Queen Mary, University of London with researchers in the United Kingdom and Europe.
She said: "We are seeing more and more women who gain excess weight when they are pregnant and we know these women and their babies are at increased risk of complications."
"Weight control is difficult but this study shows that by carefully advising women on weight management methods, especially diet, we can reduce weight gain during pregnancy. It also shows that following a controlled diet has the potential to reduce the risk of a number of pregnancy complications.
"Women may be concerned that dieting during pregnancy could have a negative impact on their babies. This research is reassuring because it showed that dieting is safe and that the baby's weight isn't affected."
Dietary advice was based on limiting overall calorie intake; balancing protein, carbohydrate and fat; and eating foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables and pulses.
Dr Thangaratinam added: "What we don't know is why diet should be so much better than exercise in controlling weight gain. It could be that it is simpler and easier for women to stick to. It may also be that eating a high-fibre diet has other positive health effects for a pregnant woman."
The study could not answer what was a healthy amount of weight to gain or how many calories a woman should stick to while pregnant. AGENCIES
Staying on a healthy diet while pregnant is a safe and effective way of avoiding gaining too much weight, researchers found.
Exercise or a combination of exercise and diet were not as effective, it was found.
The Daily Telegraph reported that women who went on diets gained four kilos less than those who did not and their risk of suffering pre-eclampsia, a potentially life threatening condition involving high blood pressure, was reduced by a third.
They were also 61 per cent less likely to develop gestational diabetes, 70 per cent less likely to have high blood pressure and were a third less likely to give birth prematurely.
The baby was also less likely to suffer a shoulder injury associated with getting stuck but there was no difference in other factors, such as caesearean section deliveries, or induction of labour.
Birthweight of the babies was not affected by the diet, the researchers said.
The research, involved studying data from 44 studies on more than 7,000 women.
Three interventions were investigated, diet which included a calorie controlled diet, advice on a healthy diet and a very prescriptive diet specified by a dietician; exercise including specific instructions on type and duration of activities, and a combination of both. All three interventions were compared to similar groups who were given standard advice.
But the team of researchers from Queen Mary, University of London, who carried out the study found weight management interventions in pregnancy were effective in reducing weight gain in the mother.
Dietary intervention resulted in the largest average reduction in weight gain (almost 4kg) compared with 0.7kg for exercise and 1kg for a combination of the two.
The research was led by Dr Shakila Thangaratinam, a Clinical Senior Lecturer and Consultant Obstetrician at Queen Mary, University of London with researchers in the United Kingdom and Europe.
She said: "We are seeing more and more women who gain excess weight when they are pregnant and we know these women and their babies are at increased risk of complications."
"Weight control is difficult but this study shows that by carefully advising women on weight management methods, especially diet, we can reduce weight gain during pregnancy. It also shows that following a controlled diet has the potential to reduce the risk of a number of pregnancy complications.
"Women may be concerned that dieting during pregnancy could have a negative impact on their babies. This research is reassuring because it showed that dieting is safe and that the baby's weight isn't affected."
Dietary advice was based on limiting overall calorie intake; balancing protein, carbohydrate and fat; and eating foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables and pulses.
Dr Thangaratinam added: "What we don't know is why diet should be so much better than exercise in controlling weight gain. It could be that it is simpler and easier for women to stick to. It may also be that eating a high-fibre diet has other positive health effects for a pregnant woman."
The study could not answer what was a healthy amount of weight to gain or how many calories a woman should stick to while pregnant. AGENCIES