Diabetes Risk High For Mothers Who Don't Lose Baby Weight

New mothers who don't lose baby weight are at a higher risk of developing high blood pressure and diabetes the next time they are pregnant.
Even small weight gains put women at risk for the diseases, and increases the odds of birth defects and future health issues in the baby.
Surprisingly, those who are most affected are women of a healthy weight.
Belgian researchers studied 8,000 women who had their first two children between 2009 and 2011. Women who were healthy or underweight prior to their first pregnancy but gained two BMI units or more in weight, equal to 11 pounds for a 5'4" woman, were four times as likely to have high blood pressure in their second pregnancy. Healthy weight women who kept three or more BMI units after pregnancy were twice as likely to have diabetes in their next pregnancy.
Once blood pressure has risen in a woman's life, it typically stays higher the rest of her life.
Gestational diabetes traditionally starts late in pregnancy and goes away after birth. Risks with this condition include stillbirth, birth defects, and caesarean section. Both mother and child are left at higher risk for diabetes later in life
The research team from the Leuven University Hospital said that overweight women also face risks. Those who were overweight prior to pregnancy and retained at least 11 pounds were twice as likely to give birth via c-section.
Obstetrician Ronald Devlieger said, "There are a lot of women who gain too much weight in pregnancy and don't lose the last 11 pounds, so it is a very common problem."
The study did not explain why healthy or underweight women had different risks from obese women, but weight gain in proportion in original weight can affect people differently.
Reference: Daily Mail
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