Too much or too little weight gain poses risks to pregnant mothe...(isting body of research on maternal weig...)

Date:5/7/2008

isting body of research on maternal weight gain is inadequate to permit a more comprehensive assessment, said Meera Viswanathan, Ph.D., the study director and a senior research analyst at RTI International. Most beneficial would be an analysis that considers the risks and potential benefits of various maternal weight-gain scenarios to all women irrespective of age, race or ethnicity, or their body mass index before they became pregnant. But such an analysis is not possible at this time.

Her research colleague at UNC, Anna Maria Siega-Riz, Ph.D., agreed.

Despite the large body of research, clear clinical recommendations based on this systematic review will be challenging to formulate because of major shortcomings in this research, said Siega-Riz, an associate professor in the UNC School of Public Healths epidemiology and nutrition departments. To fully understand the effects of maternal weight gain on short- and long-term health outcomes for both women and infants, future studies will need to adopt standard measures and consistent definitions of exposures and outcomes.

The researchers said future studies will need to examine multiple outcomes within the same study population to explore fully the trade-offs between the risks and benefits to the mother and to the child.

'/>"/>

Contact: Patric Lane patric_lane@unc.edu 919-962-8596 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Source:Eurekalert

0 GOOD

Page: 1 2
Related biology news :

1. Mothers little helpers
2. Choosing dry or wet food for cats makes little difference
3. Book on little-known species and conservation provides guidance to managers and others
4. Ancient lemurs little finger poses mystery
5. Variety is the spice of life: too many males, too little time...
6. Mice stressed in simulated weightlessness show organ atrophy
7. Soft drinks alone do not affect childrens weight
8. Weight gain between first and second pregnancies associated with increased odds of male second child
9. New drug makes weight loss safer
10. Researchers find evidence linking stress caused by the Sept. 11 disaster with low birth weights
11. Exercise improves thinking, reduces diabetes risk in overweight children