Following Pregnancy Weight-Gain Guidelines Can Increase Risk of Heavy Infants

Daily Women's Health Policy Report: Pregnancy Weight Gain Guidelines Might Raise Risk of Large, Heavier Infants, Study Finds:

The recommended weight gain of 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy can increase women's risk for giving birth to infants that are large for gestational age -- LGA -- or have excessively high birthweights -- known as macrosomia -- according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study published in the July issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Reuters reports. The study also found that prepregnancy body mass index appears to affect the association between LGA and weight gain, but BMI does not affect the link between macrosomia and weight gain. . . .

For women who gained 26 to 35 pounds, the risk for macrosomia increased 1.5 times relative to the risk for women who gained 15 to 25 pounds. A 36- to 45-pound weight gain increased the risk 2.1 times, while the risk increased 3.9 times for women who gained 46 pounds or more. . . .