Mothers' excess pregnancy weight gain, elevated blood sugar 'imprint' obesity in children

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-05/kp-mep050416.php

Public Release: 6-May-2016
Mothers' excess pregnancy weight gain, elevated blood sugar 'imprint' obesity in children
Kaiser Permanente study first to show that these risk factors affect normal-weight babies, making them more likely to become obese children
Kaiser Permanente

Children whose mothers gain excess weight or have elevated blood sugar during their pregnancies are more likely to become overweight or obese during their first decade of life, according to a new Kaiser Permanente study published today in Maternal and Child Health Journal.

The study, which followed more than 24,000 mothers and their children over 10 years, is the largest to date on the topic and the first to show that these pregnancy risk factors increase the likelihood of childhood obesity even in babies who are normal weight (5.5 to 8.8 pounds) at birth.

Previous studies have shown that excess weight gain and elevated blood sugar during pregnancy increase a woman's risk of delivering a large baby who is more likely to become an obese child;

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All children of mothers who had elevated blood sugar during pregnancy were at higher risk for childhood obesity, but those whose mothers had gestational diabetes -- the highest level of elevated blood sugar -- were at the greatest increased risk.

Those children were at least 30 percent more likely to be overweight or obese between the ages of 2 and 10, compared to children whose mothers had normal blood sugar.

Children of mothers who gained 40 pounds or more during pregnancy were at least 15 percent more likely to be overweight or obese between the ages of 2 and 10, compared to children whose mothers gained less than 40 pounds. The Institute of Medicine recommends a maximum pregnancy weight gain of no more than 40 pounds.

Many other behavioral and environmental factors contribute to childhood obesity, including the baby not being breastfed, a child's poor eating and exercise habits, and lack of access to healthy foods and safe areas to play.

In fact, more than one-third of babies born in the U.S. will become overweight or obese as children and adolescents, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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