Pregnant women who gain too much weight during pregnancy risk give birth to babies who will grow to be overweight children. The overweight women’s risk of having overweight children is four times greater than for women with lower weight gain during pregnancy, according to a recent study. Birth outcomes can be determined by how much weight the mother gains during pregnancy, said Emily Oken, from the Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention of Harvard Medical School.

The results of the study offered information about how weight gain during pregnancy may influence the risk of young children becoming overweight.

Weight gain during pregnancy may also cause high rates of cesarean interventions, later risk of maternal obesity, or high postpartum weight retention. The fetal growth and the intrauterine environment may also be influenced by the weight gained during this period.

The study showed that fifty-one percent of the women surveyed gained excessive weight, fourteen percent did not gained enough weight, and thirty-five percent gained adequate weight, according to the IOM guidelines. The IOM guidelines were published in 1990 by the Institute of Medicine and represent the clinical recommendations for how much weight a pregnant women needs to gain.

Children whose mothers gained too much weight during pregnancy faced cardiovascular risks connected to weight in young childhood, and high systolic blood pressure. The study proved a strong connection between having an overweight child and excessive weight during pregnancy, said Oken.

The IOM guidelines recommend for pregnant women with a BMI between 19,8 and 26 gain up to thirty-five pounds, women with a BMI of no more than 19,8 gain up to twenty-five pounds, and those with a BMI greater than 29 gain at least thirteen pounds.

Currently, women are starting their pregnancies with higher weight and are more likely to gain excessive weight than the adequate weight during pregnancy, said Matthew Gillman, senior author of the study.