A mother's weight before and after pregnancy has been highlighted as a predictor of the baby's weight. Researchers at the Department of Pediatrics at Soerlandet Hospital and the University of Oslo, Norway, found that the birth weight of a new born child increased if the mother's body mass index (BMI) rose pre-pregnancy.
The results were also the same if the mother's weight increased whilst pregnant with their child. Stamnes Koepp, head of the research team, said: "Encouraging women to attain a healthy weight before conception and keep a moderate weight gain during pregnancy is important to avoid high or excessive birth weight in offspring."The study also found that women with the highest level of education had the highest offspring birth weight. Offspring weight in women with 17 years or more of education was 79.2g higher than those with less than or equal to nine years' of education.
Doctors have also warned mothers looking to lose their "baby weight" not to be induced by celebrity weight programmes which are "harmful to the health of mothers and their babies". Find a dietician job at Mediplacements, a genuine specialist providing recruitment opportunities in the NHS and private sector.