Eating too much and too little when pregnant can make a baby obese: Research

Babies of women who do not gain enough weight are as likely to be obese as those whose mothers gain too much, scientists said. And surprisingly, the risk is higher for women who are a normal weight at the start of their pregnancy, The Daily Mail reported.

British experts said it is imperative that women are given clear advice on how much weight to gain during pregnancy.

The U.S. researchers tracked the health of more than 4,000 pregnant women and their children.

Overall, some 20.4 per cent of boys and girls born to women who put more weight than advised in pregnancy were overweight or obese between the ages of two and five. This is similar to the 19.5 per cent of children born to women who gained less than the recommended amount of weight – and more than the 14.5 per cent among women who stuck to the guidelines.

The finding that the children of slim women were particularly affected suggests that genes cannot be completely blamed for the effect. Instead, it is thought that conditions in the womb programme the unborn child’s metabolism for years to come.

The NHS simply advises that weight gain in pregnancy ‘varies greatly’, with most women putting on between 22lb to 26lb.