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Women health
"Women with only a
small weight gain each year (1.5 to 2.5 per cent of body weight) doubled their
risk of gestational diabetes,"
"Surprisingly, even
women who were underweight or in the normal BMI range had an increased risk of
gestational diabetes when they gained weight -- even if they remained within
the healthy weight category.
"Women with small
weight gains within the healthy BMI range doubled their risk of gestational
diabetes compared to women whose weight remained stable."
Obesity is a known risk
factor for gestational diabetes, which can lead to large babies, birth
complications and long-term health risks for mothers and children.
Researchers set out to
see what impact weight change had in the years leading up to pregnancy.
They tracked more than
3000 participants from the Women's Health Australia study (also known as the
Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health).
The women, aged between
18 and 23 when they joined the study in 1996, have answered regular surveys on
their weight, physical activity, lifestyle, health issues, and pregnancies ever
since.
"It's important for
women and their clinicians to be aware that, even in the healthy BMI range,
gaining a kilogram or two a year can be a health risk,"
Key words: Diabetes, pregnancy, women
health
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