New Delhi, Jan 18 (IANS) Foetuses of women who gain excess weight in the first trimester of pregnancy are likely to have excess fat distribution in their body, according to a study.
The study, led by researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), showed that foetuses in the womb may have more fat in their upper arm and the abdomen.
The findings, appearing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, may be key to developing early intervention strategies to prevent adult obesity associated with heavier birth weight.
Excessive weight gain early in life is a known risk factor for adult obesity and related conditions, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. For the study, the researchers analysed data from an earlier study of more than 2,600 singleton pregnancies.
This included information on maternal weight before and during pregnancy and three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound scans (up to five) throughout pregnancy.
The results showed that pregnant people with excessive weight gain — defined as more than 2 kilograms (about 4.4 pounds) in the first trimester — had foetuses with larger abdominal circumferences.
Compared to women with adequate weight gain in their pregnancy, these babies in the womb also had more abdominal area and larger foetal arm fat thickness.
Further, the team reported that foetuses from the excessive weight gain group continued to have greater arm thickness and abdominal measurements through the end of pregnancy, even when weight gain was not considered excessive during the second and third trimesters.
In contrast, most previous studies have not examined foetal 3D measures during pregnancy and have only linked total weight gain across pregnancy, not just in the first trimester, with birth weight.
“The findings suggest that the timing of weight gain, instead of total weight gain, could be important for developing efforts to prevent excess foetal size and reduce the risk of heart disease and other conditions later in life,” the researchers said.
–IANS
rvt/
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by TodayIndia.news and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of TodayIndia.news We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, TodayIndia.news takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.
Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.
If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.
