01/02/2024 – 11:42
Children of overweight pregnant women are more likely to gain weight and develop type 2 diabetes or heart problems at an early age. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that obesity is at epidemic proportions worldwide and that more than half of the world's population could suffer from this disease by 2035. That's more than 4 billion people, according to the 2023 World Obesity Atlas.
Also the number of overweight pregnant women is increasing significantly around the world.
If the mother is very overweight, this can have a direct effect on the fetus, leading to malformations in the baby, which needs to adapt to excess food during its development in the womb, says pediatrician Regina Ensenauer, from the Institute of Pediatric Nutrition at the Max Rubner Institute in Karlsruhe.
“The first thousand days – from the beginning of pregnancy to the end of the second year of life – are crucial”, emphasizes the scientist. “Also for the taste that the child will have later. Taste buds are fully functional early in development, and the fetus absorbs substances from the mother's diet through the amniotic fluid.”
Children of overweight pregnant women therefore have a high probability of becoming obese and developing secondary illnesses, such as type 2 diabetes or heart problems, at an early age, explains the pediatrician.
Risk for mother and child
Very overweight mothers also increase the risk of developing gestational diabetes (type 4 diabetes), and the child can also become diabetic as a result of excessive eating.
Additionally, the risk of pregnancy-related illnesses increases significantly in very overweight women. These illnesses include pregnancy poisoning (preeclampsia), thrombosis, or pregnancy-related high blood pressure. The likelihood of miscarriages, premature births and cesarean sections also increases significantly, as children born to overweight women are generally born with a higher weight.
Weight gain is healthy during pregnancy
Significant weight gain during pregnancy is normal and important so that mother and baby receive enough nutrients. But the mother-to-be doesn't need to “eat for two”, as is often said – pregnant women only need about 10% more calories per day than before pregnancy.
Women of normal weight gain, on average, 11.5 to 16 kg during pregnancy. Weight is composed as follows: The baby weighs an average of 3,500 grams at birth, the placenta weighs around 650 grams and the uterus weighs around 1,300 grams. The additional blood weighs about 1,250 grams, the amniotic fluid about 1,000 grams, the additional fat deposits weigh about 1,700 grams, and the accumulated fluids about 2,000 grams.
This totals around 11,400 grams, which is why it is recommended that pregnant women gain a maximum of 12 kilos during pregnancy. Weight gain of more than 20 pounds is often caused by incorrect or excessive dieting. Therefore, it is important to have your weight gain monitored regularly during pregnancy.
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