Nutrients Essential to Prenatal Development

During pregnancy, your developing baby receives all of the vitamins, minerals and nutrients necessary for healthy growth. Whether it comes from your body’s stores or your diet, it is essential to make sure that everything they need is available to them!

Topping the list in early pregnancy is folic acid, or folate. In the first three weeks of pregnancy, your baby is forming a brain and spinal cord. A folic acid deficiency can lead to neural tube defects and other debilitating birth defects. Orange juice, lentils, peas and beans are all great sources of folic acid, but you should still take a supplement with at least 0.4mg per day.

Calcium aids in the development of strong, healthy bones and teeth. Without enough calcium in your diet, the fetus will actually take it from your bones, resulting in a deficiency in your own body. Drink plenty of milk and eat hard cheeses, yogurt and salmon to get your 1000mg per day.

Protein is vital to your developing baby. It also helps your body to repair cells that are damaged or changing during pregnancy. You can find your 60g per day in meat, poultry, dried beans or nuts.

Your body’s need for iron will nearly double during pregnancy as you work to produce extra blood. Iron deficiency can lead to anemia, low birth weight and even preterm delivery. You will need at least 27mg of elemental iron per day. If you aren’t getting enough in your diet by choosing iron-rich food such as spinach, tofu, lean meat or nuts, your doctor may recommend a supplement. Vitamin C also aids the body in absorbing iron, so eat the food or take your supplement with a Vitamin C-rich option such as orange juice or cantaloupe.

Choline is a nutrient that many pregnant women don’t have enough of in their daily diet. It is crucial for normal fetal brain development, yet the average American gets only 314 of the 425mg recommended daily (the National Institute of Health, http://www.medindia.net/news/view_news_main.asp?x=14088). Choline is found in high levels in soy lecithin, beef liver and egg yolks.

Vitamins, especially those in the B family, are important in fetal development. Be sure to get your recommended daily intake of thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B5), pyridoxine (B6), pantothenic acid (B12), and biotin. Your everyday diet should provide sufficient amounts of these vitamins, but eating fortified cereals and whole grain breads will help.

Iodine is a trace element that helps to prevent brain defects. A condition called goitre can result from a lack of iodine in countries such as South Africa where iodine levels are low or nonexistent in soil, plants and fish. In these areas, iodized salt can help to supply iodine in the diet, but remember that excessive use of salt can be dangerous. As always, moderation is the key.

Essential fatty acids Omega-3 and Omega-6 are also necessary in prenatal development. Omega-6 comes from canola oil, soft margarine and other plant oils. Omega-3 is found mostly in fish, which pregnant women may not eat during pregnancy. Ask your doctor or midwife about a supplement.

Incorporating healthy, nutrient-rich foods into your everyday diet, along with an approved supplement, is the key to ensuring good prenatal health.

Article written by Sally Aubrey

For more information on keeping excellent health for your and your baby just go to www.amazingpregnancysecrets.com

Omega-3 least known of pregnancy “Big 3”

By Clarisse Douaud

9/18/2006 - Only 41 percent of mothers and expectant mothers know they should be consuming omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy, according to a recent survey, emphasizing a need for more education as well as an untapped market.

The Washington, DC-based Society for Women's Health Research (SWHR) conducted a public opinion survey involving 500 American women aged 18 and older who were either pregnant, nursing or had children aged three and under. Questions were put to the women regarding the ”Big 3” of pregnancy nutrition: folic acid, calcium with vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids.

The finding that women are less aware of the need for omega-3, compared with other nutrients for healthy mothers and babies, implying formulators' omega-3 message has still not saturated the prenatal market.

A diet rich in the DHA omega-3 fatty acid (docosahexaenoic acid) during pregnancy and breastfeeding is thought to support healthy pregnancies as well as the mental and visual development of infants. Mothers are said to be less at risk of post partum depression or mood change, and to recover more quickly after pregnancy, if they consume enough of the fatty acid.

Still, women are much more aware of folic acid and calcium with vitamin D in pregnancy than they are of omega-3. Eighty-seven percent knew the importance of folic acid and 58 percent were aware of the benefits of calcium with vitamin D.

“Folic acid, calcium with vitamin D and DHA omega-3 — together, they make up the Big 3 essential nutrients that are important before, during and after pregnancy,” said SWHR president and CEO Phyllis Greenberger.“Fortunately, by paying attention to what they eat, women can easily obtain these nutrients through a balanced diet, fortified foods and supplements.”

And women ‘in the know' are eager to purchase DHA fortified foods rather than eat fish, according to the survey. After being informed that pregnant women are advised to avoid fish because it may contain mercury, 88 percent of survey respondents said they would be interested in purchasing a product that would help them get DHA without having to eat fish.

The survey also determined the women's preferred food vehicles for DHA if they had a choice. Cereal and cereal bars were most popular at 39 percent; followed by orange juice at 34 percent; and pasta at 25 percent.

SWHR's survey was funded in part by Martek Biosciences, which stands to benefit from increased knowledge on the natal benefits of DHA - as well as to lose if fish-sourced DHA makes its way into infant foods. Martek claims its algae-sourced DHA and ARA (arachidonic acid) are the omega-3 fortifying ingredients in 83 to 86 percent of fortified infant formulas in the US.

Up until February 2006, the US Food & Drug Administration only approved vegetarian sources of DHA for use in infant formulas. When the agency expanded its approval to non-vegetarian sources,

The survey is clear in its support for algae-derived DHA:

“Women should check nutrition labels and ask their grocers and health care providers what foods contain algal-based sources of DHA,” says the SWHR.

Market researcher Mintel has identified omega-3 fortification as one of the major trends for 2006.

9 sign & symptoms of twin pregnancy

BY A STAFF REPORTER | Monday, September 18, 2006 12:15:51 IST

Many expecting moms wonder if two babies might be on the way...

If you’re wondering whether or not you’re carrying twins (or more!), you’re not alone. With the incidence of twins increasing dramatically over the past two decades, many expecting moms wonder if two babies might be on the way. Trying to Conceive: Are You Ahead of the Game? Age matters. One reason for the increased incidence of multiple births in the world is the trend toward delaying pregnancy. The incidence of twins increases for women over the age of 35 and even more if you are over 50. To put it in perspective, your chance of giving birth to twins if you are less than 25 years of age is less than half of what it would be after the age of 35. Twins may run in your family. Even before diagnosis of pregnancy, you may suspect that you are at an increased risk of conceiving twins. Fraternal (dizygotic) twins may run in the family, and, contrary to popular belief, they do not necessarily skip a generation. If your mother or grandmother had twins, you may be carrying a gene that causes you to release more than one egg at a time, making it more likely that you will have twins. 1. You just feel you’re carrying more than one baby. Don’t disregard intuition or dreams. Some mothers of twins (or higher order multiples) say that they knew right from the start that they were carrying more than one baby. 2. You experience more nausea and/or morning sickness. If you are having more than one baby, you may also have an elevated hCG level. Higher levels of hCG also make it more likely that you will have bouts of morning (or all-day) sickness. 3. Other normal pregnancy symptoms may be exaggerated. Many women — but not all — who are pregnant with twins have more intense pregnancy symptoms, likely due to the extra hormones circulating through their system. You may find that your breasts are very tender, you have to urinate frequently, you are hungry all the time and you are very tired. In the second trimester, you may experience difficulty catching your breath, swelling (edema) of the hands and legs, an unusual rate of weight gain and abdominal enlargement and excessive fetal movement. Anemia or low iron (decreased hemoglobin) is also common with twin and multiple pregnancies. 4. You gain weight rapidly in your first trimester. A higher than average weight gain in the first trimester may be your first clue that you’re carrying more than one baby. If you’re eating well, don’t be concerned. 5. You measure large for gestational age. At your first exam you may be told that your uterus is ‘large for dates.’ If your last menstrual period indicates an eight-week gestation, your uterus may feel more like 10 to 12 weeks. This may prompt your care provider to request an ultrasound. As your pregnancy progresses, if you are carrying more than one baby, your fundal height (uterine measurement) will consistently measure large for gestational age. A term uterus, with one baby, may reach 38 to 40 centimeters in height, measured from the pubic bone, while a term twin pregnancy may exceed 48 centimeters. 6. You are told that you have elevated levels of AFP. Levels of alpha fetoprotein (AFP), a protein released by the baby as it grows and found in the mother’s blood, can be elevated when there is more than one baby. (It can also be elevated for other reasons, such as neural tube defects.) Normally this simple blood test is given 16 to 18 weeks after your last menstrual period. Alpha fetoprotein testing detects over half of all twin pregnancies. 7. You are told you have rapidly rising HCG levels. Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin (HCG) is a hormone produced by the fertilized egg and by the chorionic villi. It is needed to maintain the pregnancy until the placenta develops. It can be detected in your blood or urine even before you miss a period. Normally in a singleton pregnancy, blood (serum) concentrations of HCG rise rapidly during the first weeks, doubling every two to three days. Levels of HCG can be even higher with twin or multiple pregnancies. 8. Your provider hears two fetal heartbeats. Two separate heartbeats can be distinguishable with a Doppler in your care provider’s office by around 12 weeks. At around 28 weeks, it may be possible to differentiate two fetal heads and multiple small parts when doing an abdominal exam. 9. You have a positive ultrasound. If you believe you are indeed pregnant with twins, an ultrasound can be performed quite early in pregnancy. With a skilled ultrasonographer, two gestational sacs, two embryos and two distinct fetal heartbeats can be seen six weeks after the first day of the last menstrual period. Many twins have been diagnosed as early as five weeks — when you’re just one week late for your menstrual period.

Cigarette Smoke to Prevent Pregnancy Complication

A potentially poisonous gas found in cigarette smoke could prevent pre-eclampsia.

Carbon monoxide, a potentially poisonous and even carcinogenic gas found in cigarette smoke and automobile emissions, may prevent the premature death of cells in placenta. This way, carbon monoxide may help treat pre-eclampsia, a common pregnancy compication.

Pre-eclampsia is present when hypertension arises in pregnancy in association with significant protein in the urine.

Smokers, who inhale relatively high levels of carbon monoxide, have a lower-than-average risk of pre-eclampsia, note Dr. Graeme M. Smith and associates at Queens University Hospital in Kingston, Ontario.

Cells in placental tissue exposed to carbon monoxide had a 60-percent lower death rate than cells in unexposed tissue, according to the report in The American Journal of Pathology.

However, this doesn't mean that pregnant woman should start smoking or inhaling second-hand smoke. Carbon monoxide as a treatment for pre-eclampsia is many years away, scientists report. Before any treatment becomes a reality, doctors must determine what levels of this dangerous chemical are safe for the fetus. They also need to find a safe way to deliver carbon monoxide to the mother.

"I suspect we're three or four years away from pregnant animal studies, to get an idea of 'safe' carbon monoxide levels from the fetal point of view," Dr. Smith told Reuters Health.

"That would mean a year or two after that before we'd be looking at human studies. The ideal would likely be to maintain carbon monoxide levels comparable to a moderate (say one pack per day) smoker without all the bad stuff in cigarette smoke."

Miscarriage- The "Unacceptable" Grief

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Mental health counseling given over the phone may ease some women's depression symptoms after a miscarriage, a small pilot study suggests.

The therapy was offered to women with "subsyndromal" depression, which is less severe than major clinical depression but still causes significant symptoms -- such as sleep disturbances, chronic lack of energy, appetite changes and feelings of hopelessness.

Past studies have shown that women who suffer a miscarriage are at risk not only of major depression, but of the considerably more common subsyndromal depression as well.

This latest study, reported in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, was a pilot project testing whether phone-based counseling could help women with milder depression following a miscarriage. Such therapy aims to overcome some of the obstacles that keep people from in-person mental health counseling, like lack of time or reluctance to talk face-to-face.

Of the 19 women researchers followed, those who received counseling over the phone a handful of times showed a greater decline in depression symptoms.

The findings suggest the therapy should be studied in a larger clinical trial, according to the study authors, led by Dr. Richard Neugebauer of the New York State Psychiatric Institute and Columbia University in New York.

The study included women who'd lost a pregnancy sometime before the 28th week. Half were randomly assigned to receive telephone counseling from a social worker or psychologist, while the rest served as a comparison group.

Women in the counseling group decided how many phone calls, up to six, they would receive; both groups completed standard questionnaires gauging depression symptoms at the beginning and end of the study.

Over the study period, women in both groups showed a decline in depression, Neugebauer's team found, but those who received counseling made greater strides.

A majority of the study participants were Hispanic and many were on Medicaid, the researchers point out -- suggesting, they say, that phone-based counseling offers a way to reach traditionally underserved women as well.

SOURCE: Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, August 2006.

Study focuses on pre-pregnancy health

By VICKI ROCK
Daily American Staff Writer
Tuesday, September 19, 2006 12:38 AM EDT

Despite efforts to improve prenatal care in the United States, the number of babies being born prematurely or at a low birth weight continues to increase, according to a recent study by the Central Pennsylvania Center of Excellence for Research on Pregnancy Outcomes.

“Researchers have found that improved prenatal care hasn't impacted preterm and low birth weight births in the way expected,” said Holly Fleegle, community health educator for Somerset Tapestry of Health. “If women are taking steps to be healthy before they become pregnant, it should have an impact on the birth weight.”

A collaborative four-year project is being done by the Pennsylvania State University, Family Health Council of Central Pennsylvania, Franklin and Marshall College and Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania. The project is funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Health with tobacco settlement funds.

Somerset Tapestry of Health is part of the project as it is funded by the Family Health Council. A central focus of the study is on the region's rural communities.

Premature or preterm births are those that occur before 37 weeks of gestation. Low birth weight babies weigh less than 5 1/2 pounds at birth. Very low birth weight is less than 1 pound, 10.5 ounces. In 2003, the rate of low birth weight births in the U.S. reached 7.9 percent, representing 300,000 births. This was the highest rate in 30 years.

To be eligible for the Central Pennsylvania Women's Health Study, women must be between the ages of 18 and 35, and not currently pregnant. They will receive two free health screenings and gifts.

“We are conducting the recruitment and enrollment,” said Jennifer Mock, community health educator for Somerset Tapestry of Health. “There will also be a control group.”

The women may also attend classes that cover stress management, nutrition, pre-conception health and use of tobacco and alcohol.

“Smoking and drinking are the biggest causes of low birth weight births,” Mock said.

"Placental problem more likely with test-tube pregnancy"- Article

Technique used in assisted reproductive technologies may explain increased risk

Placenta previa, a potentially serious pregnancy complication, may be more common among pregnancies conceived through assisted reproductive technologies than among those conceived naturally, new research suggests.

In placenta previa, the placenta covers the cervix, potentially blocking the baby's exit from the uterus and leading to bleeding as the cervix begins to thin and dilate in preparation for labour. As a result, the baby usually needs to be delivered by caesarean section.

A Norwegian study of more than 845,000 pregnancies showed the incidence of placenta previa increased from about three in 1,000 naturally conceived pregnancies to 16 in 1,000 pregnancies achieved with techniques such as in vitro, or test-tube, fertilization.

In the 1,300 women who had both natural and assisted pregnancies, the risk of placenta previa was three times higher in the assisted pregnancy, suggesting the assisted reproduction techniques themselves, rather than characteristics of the individual mothers, may explain the increased risk.

"The underlying mechanism causing the placenta previa is not clear, but we have speculated whether the technique used to transfer the embryo into the uterus may be involved," says study co-author Dr. Pal Romundstad of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, Norway.

"The procedure may induce uterine contractions . . . leading to more embryos implanting low down in the uterus.

"In addition, because research has shown that transferring the embryo to a position low in the uterus may improve implantation rates, current practice tends to favour placing the embryo low down."

But Romundstad adds that placenta previa is rare even in assisted pregnancies, affecting between 1.5 per cent and two per cent. "Thus this finding should not prevent people from seeking (assisted reproduction)."

With files from The Medical Post. Copyright www.macleans.ca

"Observance Calls Attention To Dangers Of Mixing Alcohol, Pregnancy" - Article

Members of the Fayette County Drug and Alcohol Commission Inc. (FCDAC) and local city and county officials showed their support Tuesday in raising awareness about the dangers of drinking alcohol during pregnancy.

Deanna Sherbondy, FCDAC executive director, said every year international Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is observed on the 9th minute of the 9th hour of the 9th day of the 9th month, reminding women around the world that during the 9 months of pregnancy they should abstain from alcohol.

Fayette County Commissioner Angela M. Zimmerlink, chairman, read a proclamation and said that proclamations have been issued in counties, states, provinces and towns all around the world this month.

"Over 10,000 babies are born in the United States every day," she said. "Of those babies, one will be born HIV positive, 10 will be born with Down Syndrome, 20 of the babies will be born with FASD and 100 of the babies will be born with alcohol related disorders."
Zimmerlink said in the past 10 years, statistics have shown that women are closing the gender gap when it comes to alcohol consumption. She additionally said that since Sept. 9 fell on a Saturday this year, FCDAC along with other drug and alcohol agencies statewide agreed to participate in the ringing of the bells on Tuesday at county courthouse.

County Commissioner Vincent A. Vicites said that the FCDAC does an outstanding job with the resources that they have. He also said that all FASDs are 100 percent preventable if women simply don't drink alcohol while they are pregnant.

Uniontown Mayor James Sileo reiterated what the other members of the group said and told the crowd that individuals with FASD have difficulties with learning, attention, memory and problem solving.

"Children with FASDs are at risk for psychiatric problems, criminal behavior, unemployment, and incomplete education," he said. "These are secondary conditions that an individual is not born with but might acquire as a result of FASD or a related disorder."

Joseph Augustine, FCDAC community relation's coordinator, said a new program, Underage Curriculum for Adolescent Needs (UCAN), will assist adolescents in re-evaluating their decision to turn to alcohol, drugs and/or tobacco at such an early and illegal age.

"The five-day prevention program will identify effective ways to reduce substance abuse problems among young people," said Charlie Wortman, FCDAC treatment program manager.

Wortman said the same question is asked over and over again: Why do adolescents use alcohol, drugs, or tobacco knowing that it is illegal and unhealthy?

"One reason often heard from adolescents using these substances is that they do them to feel good," he said. "Many adolescents consider this type of usage as recreational while others want to change their situation. If they are depressed, they want to become happy. If they are stressed or nervous, they want to relax."

FCDAC treatment specialist Janine Pacelli explained that UCAN offers a caring hand by enhancing personal wellness and promoting substance free living.

"The UCAN program will achieve the mission of empowering adolescents to live a substance free lifestyle by training them how to access prevention educational materials and programs with the ability to have the preventative skills necessary to live a substance free lifestyle," she said.

Pacelli said the five-day program would accept referrals from concerned parents, district justices, self-referrals, youth ministries, Children and Yough Services, Juvenile Probation and also from the Student Assistant Program available through area school districts.

Some of the topics presented in the program are making the right choices, peer and social pressures, consequences of usage, usage impact on the family and problem solving.

For more information on any of the programs offered by FCDAC, call 724-438-3576 or 1-800-856-3576. Additional information on programs is available by visiting the Web site www.fcdaa.org.

©The Herald Standard 2006

"New Clue to Pregnancy Complication Researchers Find Rise in 2 Blood Proteins Precede Preeclampsia"- Article

A marked rise in two blood proteins may predict preeclampsia, a dangerous complication of pregnancy, a new study shows.

If so, it might be possible to design preeclampsia tests and treatment.

Preeclampsia affects 3% to 5% of pregnancies. It's a leading cause of pregnancy complications and preterm birth. It occurs with onset of a sharp rise of high blood pressure and protein leakage in the urine after 20 weeks.

"This finding appears to be an important step in developing a cure for preeclampsia," says Elias Zerhouni, MD, director of the National Institutes of Health, in an NIH news release.

The NIH-funded study appears in The New England Journal of Medicine, along with a separate editorial.

It's too soon to know if the proteins cause preeclampsia, the editorialists caution. "Nevertheless, these findings are exciting," they write.

Protein Clues

The study's researchers included Richard Levine, MD, MPH, from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, which is part of NIH.

Levine and colleagues studied data on 552 pregnant women, divided into five categories:

• 72 had preeclampsia before 37 weeks of pregnancy.
• 120 had preeclampsia at or after 37 weeks of pregnancy.
• 120 had gestational hypertension (pregnancy-induced high blood pressure).
• 120 had normal blood pressure but had babies small for gestational age.
• 120 had normal blood pressure and had babies that weren't small for gestational age.

Levine's team checked the women's blood levels of two proteins: soluble endoglin and sFlt1.

Tests showed a marked rise in blood levels of those proteins two to three months prior to a preeclampsia diagnosis (the rise in sFlt1 was related to a drop in another protein, PlGF, which the researchers looked at as a ratio of sFlt1 to PlGF).

Rising levels of both endoglin and the ratio of sFlt1 to PlGF appeared to be important.

An increase in only one of the markers wasn't a strong preeclampsia predictor. But "among women with high levels of both, the risk of preeclampsia was high," the researchers write.

Predicting Preeclampsia

It might be possible to create blood tests, based on those two proteins, that predict preeclampsia, Levine's team writes.

Treatments might also follow.

"We've found specific molecules that appear to be causing the clinical signs of preeclampsia and so now we have an idea which molecules we would need to interfere with to treat the disease," Levine says, in a NICHD news release.

The editorialists aren't so sure the study proves the proteins cause preeclampsia. "The conclusions on causality seem ambitious," they write.

The editorialists included Marshall Lindheimer, MD, of the University of Chicago's departments of obstetrics, gynecology, and medicine.

"There are still unknowns," Lindheimer and colleagues write. "But we can now confidently state that a disorder once considered a mysterious disease is sufficiently understood to permit mechanistically rational studies of its prediction, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment."

---

SOURCES: Levine, R. The New England Journal of Medicine, Sept. 7, 2006; vol 355: pp 992-1005. Lindheimer, M. The New England Journal of Medicine, Sept. 7, 2006; vol 355: pp 1056-1058. News release, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health.

"Calcium supplements can reduce complications during pregnancy" -Article

Preeclampsia, the development of high blood pressure and protein in the urine during pregnancy and its more severe complications such as eclampsia, can threaten the lives of both mother and child. While there is no therapy to prevent preeclampsia, a link to calcium deficiency has been suggested.

A study, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, investigated whether a Calcium supplement could reduce the complications and mortality from preeclampsia.
Over 8300 women with low dietary calcium ( <600 mg/day, about half of that recommended during pregnancy ) were selected for the study.
The subjects were randomly divided into two groups that had similar gestational ages, demographic characteristics, and normal blood pressures before treatment started.
Half were given 1.5g of a Calcium supplement per day and half received a placebo.

While the incidence of preeclampsia was not statistically different in the supplemented women, eclampsia, other severe complications and severe gestational hypertension were significantly lower. Overall, the " severe preeclamptic complications index " and the " severe maternal morbidity and mortality index, " including all severe conditions, were also reduced with Calcium.

Preterm and early preterm delivery ( <32 weeks ) tended to be reduced among women who were at highest risk for low calcium and complications. It is very important to note that neonatal mortality was also lower in the Calcium group.

Writing in the article, Jose Villar, states, " This large randomized trial in populations with low calcium intake demonstrates that while supplementation with 1.5 gm Calcium/day did not result in a statistically significant decrease in the overall incidence of preeclampsia, Calcium significantly decreased the risk of its more serious complications, including maternal and severe neonatal morbidity and mortality, as well as preterm delivery, the latter among young women."

Source: American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2006


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"Excess weight gain during pregnancy bad for baby"- Article

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Weight gain above guidelines during pregnancy is common, according to researchers, and infants born to women with high weight gain tend to have worse outcomes.

Dr. Naomi E. Stotland, of the University of California, San Francisco, and colleagues examined the association between weight gain during pregnancy and adverse outcomes among 20,465 full-term infants for 20,465 single births. None of the infants were from multiple births.

Mothers' weight gain during pregnancy was categorized using the Institute of Medicine guidelines, as well as by extremes of weight gain, either less than 15.4 lbs. or greater than 39.6 lbs. The authors' findings appear in the September issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Overall, 43.3 percent of the women had weight gain above the Institute of Medicine guidelines and 20.1 percent had weight gain below the guidelines. Twenty-nine percent of women gained more than 39.6 lbs. during pregnancy, and 4.8 percent gained less than 15.4 lbs.

Excessive weight gain was associated with poor Apgar scores, a gauge of how well the baby looks and responds immediately after birth. In addition, excessive weight gain was linked to infant seizures, low blood sugar levels, and a potentially serious breathing condition called meconium aspiration.

Excessive weight gain was also associated with a decreased risk of having a small baby, whereas low weight gain was tied to an increased risk.

Based on the study findings, the researchers recommend that public health efforts emphasize the prevention of excessive weight gain during pregnancy.

SOURCE: Obstetrics and Gynecology, September 2006.

© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.

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