Pay attention to your weight during the first pregnancy because it has an influence on the following births! This is what research from Saint Louis University (Saint-Louis, Missouri, United States) reveals. While the correct weight is recommended by all doctors and from the first pregnancy, the majority of women do not really know what the right weight gain is for them. And yet, it has effects on the future.
Even if the first childbirth goes smoothly and the baby is healthy, a woman who is underweight or overweight during her first pregnancy sees the risk of complications increase during the following pregnancy.
Risks for mother and child
Weight gain should be adapted to the woman’s starting body mass index (BMI). When it is insufficient or excessive, it entails, for the next pregnancy, increased risks of complications for both mother and child. These risks do not go away, even if the weight is normal during this other pregnancy.
For this study, the researchers analyzed the birth registry records of 121,092 women. This allowed them to confirm the increased risks. Compared to women with a healthy weight, women who are too low have a 20% increased risk of premature birth and 40% of having a small baby for gestational age during the second pregnancy.
For overweight women, the risk is increased by 54% of having a large baby for gestational age, 156% of preeclampsia, 85% ofcesarean delivery and 37% neonatal death within the first 28 days of life.
The researchers’ conclusion is clear: women must learn to manage their weight well, from the first child.
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