Nutrition and Pregnancy Outcome

Abstract

Nutrition in pregnancy has been recognized for millennia as being important, but the current nutritional practices of pregnant women often do not conform to what we already know to be optimum. Pregnant women are increasingly entering pregnancy overweight as the dietary habits of young women deteriorate in many societies. This increase in overweight was accompanied by a 5-fold increase in gestational diabetes within 15 years in Norway, together with an unprecedented increase in the prevalence of large babies. This is accompanied by increasing risks of fetal malformations, damage to mother and child during parturition, and an increased risk of both obesity and type 2 diabetes in mother and the adolescent child. The prevalence of overweight girls is therefore a public health challenge with intergenerational implications.

Nutrition and human health from a sex–gender perspective

“…Children of obese and diabetic pregnant are often macrosomic (Catalano and Ehrenberg, 2006;Henriksen, 2006;Langer et al, 1989;Leguizamon and von Stecher, 2003); however, studies of diabetic women have shown that maintaining low blood glucose levels during pregnancy through excessively tight glycemic control lead to a greater incidence of small for gestational age neonates (Langer et al, 1989;Leguizamon and von Stecher, 2003). Epigenetic misprogramming, which is associated with overweight or diabetic mothers, overnutrition or undernutrition during development, is widely thought to have a persistent effect on the health of the offspring (Attig et al, 2010).…”

Excessive weight gain during pregnancy and risk of macrosomia: a meta-analysis

“…The short-term risks include intrapartal hypoxia, brachial plexus injuries, low Apgar score, asphyxia and hypoglycemia [4]. The long-term risks include childhood obesity, overweight, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cancer later in life [5][6][7][8]. Moreover, giving birth to macrosomic infants is associated with a higher risk of maternal complications including hemorrhage, infection, preeclampsia, perinatal mortality, prolonged labor, operative deliveries and perineal injuries [9][10][11].…”

Exercise in obese pregnant women: positive impacts and current perceptions

“…Well-recognized risks include gestational diabetes, hypertensive conditions (including preeclampsia), and preterm birth 7,15. There are also considerable risks for the infant, including an increased risk of perinatal death, congenital anomalies, shoulder dystocia, birth injuries, and macrosomia 7,15,17,18. The risks associated with overweight and obesity during pregnancy are summarized in Table 1.…”