Pregnancy Pounds: Babies at Risk

CHICAGO (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- One-third of U.S. women of reproductive age are obese. The alarming statistic was enough for the Institute of Medicine to issue new pregnancy weight guidelines. Now doctors say putting on extra pounds can also change a baby's genes, and that giving your child a healthy start begins months before your due date.

Kristin Ray was creating her fairytale. She was a beautiful bride, and then an expectant mother. The happiest times of her life … right?

"I felt really depressed a lot because of my self image," Ray told Ivanhoe. "I was just getting bigger and bigger and bigger and it was embarrassing."

The first trimester Ray packed on 30 pounds. By her due date, she gained a total of 85 pounds.

"I kept thinking, 'I'll just worry about taking the weight off after he's born,'" Ray said.

Robert Kushner, M.D., an internal medicine specialist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, says gaining too much weight during pregnancy actually changes the child's genetic make-up in utero. It's called fetal maternal imprinting.

"A baby can be born handicapped; handicapped not in terms of a disability, but handicapped genetically to either develop either diabetes, heart disease or obesity because of a mother's eating schedule," Dr. Kushner explained. 

The Institute of Medicine's new guidelines -- normal weight women should gain 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy. overweight women -- 15 to 25 pounds, and obese women -- 11 to 20 pounds.

"The old adage, 'Eat what I want, I'm eating for two,' really doesn't hold anymore," Dr. Kushner said.

Do you know the difference between pregnancy dos and don'ts? How many extra calories does a pregnant woman need daily … 300, 600, or 1,000? The answer is 300 -- less than two bananas. Question number two: a baby born to an overweight mom has an increased risk of heart defects, spina bifida, or attention problems. The answer is all of the above.

"I didn't want to gain another 85 pounds," Ray said. "I hadn't lost it yet."

Now expecting baby number two, Ray is working on a new approach -- daily exercise and smarter choices.

"What I put in my body, I know that it's going to affect my children," Ray explained.

Working on a healthy start even before the bundle of joy arrives.

Recent studies show a possible link between ADHD and maternal obesity. Another study found babies born to obese mother are one-third more likely to have significant birth defects. Dr. Kushner recommends women get their weight under control before getting pregnant. For expectant mothers, he suggests weighing yourself weekly to make sure you're staying within the guidelines.

If you would like more information, please contact:

American Pregnancy Association
http://www.americanpregnancy.org