Pre-pregnancy BMI directly linked to excess pregnancy weight gain
Weight gain during pregnancy is an issue every pregnant woman faces. After pregnancy, new research shows that for young mothers, pre-pregnancy body mass index, or BMI, and ethnicity might signal a likelihood for obesity later in life. After analyzing the medical records of more than 1,000 women who gave birth between the ages of 15 and 24, investigators from the University of Michigan conclude that physicians caring for adolescent women should use BMI before pregnancy as a strong predictor of whether a young mother will gain too much weight during pregnancy, a risk factor for later obesity. They also found that Hispanic women were less likely than non-Hispanic women to gain too much weight during pregnancy. For the work, researchers reviewed information about the mothers' pregnancy and delivery, including pre-pregnancy BMI and the mother's weight gain during pregnancy. Follow-up interviews gathered additional information, including access to and use of health care and ch...