Adequate weight gain during pregnancy is essential for the development and growth of the embryo. Too little or too much weight gain during pregnancy can have a negative effect on the unborn child. A higher weight gain during pregnancy is associated with a higher birth weight and vice versa.
Studies show that low birth weight is associated with an increased body mass index and systolic blood pressure, type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome as well as the development of neuroblastoma. A high birth weight is also associated with a higher body mass index in adulthood. The development of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, the risk of brain tumours in the offspring and an increased risk of breast cancer in the mother are also discussed in relation to high birth weight. The influence on the risk of obesity is unclear.
The consequences of heavy weight gain during pregnancy include increased weight retention after pregnancy, overweight, obesity, gestational hypertension and diabetes in the mother and increased body mass index, increased risk of obesity and high blood pressure in the offspring.
Studies suggest that increasing the intake of energy, energy-adapted protein and fats of animal origin increases maternal weight gain, while a high-carbohydrate diet results in less weight gain. Exercise and nutritional interventions, alone or in combination, favour a reduction in weight gain or limit it.
