Excess Pregnancy Weight Gain Linked To Increased Heart Disease and Diabetes Risk In Women: Study

Pregnant women who exceed recommended weight gain thresholds face elevated risks of death from heart disease and diabetes later in life, reveals a study published in The Lancet journal. This increased mortality risk applies to women in all weight categories, including those who were underweight, normal weight, or overweight before their pregnancies. However, no heightened risk was found for women who were obese before pregnancy, according to researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

The study underscores the significance of adhering to current weight gain guidelines during pregnancy, suggesting that this can offer long-term protection against adverse health outcomes for both mothers and their babies. These guidelines, as recommended by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US, vary based on a woman's pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI). The CDC advises underweight women not to gain more than 12.5-18 kg and obese women not to exceed 5-10 kg in weight gain during pregnancy.

In contemporary times, nearly half of pregnant women surpass these recommended weight gain thresholds, a concerning trend highlighted by the researchers. To examine the long-term consequences of this, the team turned to data from the Collaborative Perinatal Project, which collected information from a racially diverse group of individuals in the US who gave birth in the 1950s or 1960s and tracked their records through 2016.

By analyzing the participants' BMI and weight gain data and comparing it with modern recommendations, the researchers made several key observations. First, they found a correlation between pre-pregnancy BMI and mortality rates. Those with the lowest BMI died at a lower rate than those with the highest BMI. The study also revealed that women classified as underweight before pregnancy faced an 84 per cent increased risk of death related to heart disease if they gained more than the recommended weight.

For women with a normal BMI before pregnancy, the risk of death from any cause rose by 9 per cent, and the risk of heart disease-related death increased by 20 per cent when they exceeded the recommended weight gain. Overweight women had a 12 per cent higher risk of death and a 12 per cent increased risk of death related to diabetes when they gained excess weight during pregnancy. Intriguingly, no significant correlation was found between high weight gain during pregnancy and subsequent deaths among women who were already classified as obese before pregnancy.

While the study was not specifically designed to investigate this discrepancy, the researchers suggest that the already elevated death rate among the obese group may have influenced this finding. Additionally, the team acknowledged that weight gain during pregnancy is influenced by factors such as healthcare access, nutrition, and stress. This comprehensive study provides a clearer picture of the long-term risks associated with unhealthy weight gain during pregnancy, offering valuable insights to address this critical issue.

In conclusion, the study serves as a compelling reminder of the importance of adhering to recommended weight gain guidelines during pregnancy to protect the health and well-being of both mothers and their offspring. With nearly half of pregnant women exceeding these guidelines, the findings underscore the need for increased awareness and support to ensure healthier outcomes for expectant mothers.