The first-ever study has found that pregnant women who reside in the U.S. are gaining more body fat, which is causing their babies to do the same, according to findings presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting.
According to a study that took place from 1990 to 2005, researchers measured the body mass index of pregnant women, and found an increase in body fat in mothers and their children. Also, after delivery, the newborns bodies were composed of more fat.
Prior studies have found that obesity is become a growing health problem in the U.S., and some of the individuals that are included are women who are trying to get pregnant and have a high body mass index. Researchers have discovered that excess weight gain can cause complications during the pregnancy and increase the risk of their child developing obesity later on in life.
“Healthcare providers need to pay closer attention to the body mass index of women before they get pregnant, and equal attention to how much weight they gain during the pregnancy,” said Felix Okah, a professor of pediatrics and director of the Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship Program at the Childrens Mercy Hospitals and Clinics.
Studies have found that one in every five children in the U.S. are considered overweight, accoridng to The Obesity Society.