What is the relationship of maternal weight to birth outcomes and what are the related recommendations?
Strong evidence exists that obesity can begin to develop very early on in life, and that the prevention and control of obesity in women of childbearing age needs to be addressed. The nutritional well-being of a woman before conception, during pregnancy, post-partum, and during lactation affects her health and the health of her child. Maternal obesity affects a woman’s health and pregnancy outcome, and threatens her child’s health from the fetal period through adulthood. Maternal overweight may increase risks for overweight and obesity in their children. For an overview of the relationship of weight on birth outcomes and recommendations, please view two Power Point Presentations A Healthy Baby is Worth the Weight (PPT, 2.9MB)and Weight Gain in Pregnancy: Past, Present, and Future (PPT)or read Promoting Healthy Weight Among Women of Reproductive Age (PDF, 2MB).
