Women who are overweight before pregnancy are nearly five times as likely to have a child who is fat, British researchers suggest. A woman's health may have a great impact on her child's health. Smoking, vitamin D deficiency and a bad diet are among the other risks.
Together with excessive weight gain in pregnancy and failing to breastfeed, a child’s development can be affected dramatically.
Researchers found that women who displayed lifestyle risks before, during and shortly after pregnancy were 4.65 times more likely to have overweight children.
The authors of the study think that health programmes which wait until children start school were too late.
They also think that balancing a child's appetite and regulation of weight need earlier interference, the Daily Mail reports. The findings come as obesity among pregnant British women reaches epidemic proportions.
Almost half of women of child-bearing age are overweight or obese and more than 15 per cent of pregnant women are deemed to be dangerously overweight.
Follow NEWS.am Medicine on Facebook and Twitter