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Maternal Weight Gain During Pregnancy and Obesity in the Offspring

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Obesity Before Birth

Part of the book series: Endocrine Updates ((ENDO,volume 30))

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Abstract

The amount of weight women gain during pregnancy may be a modifiable risk factor for childhood obesity in the next generation. Women who gain excessive weight during pregnancy have children that are more likely to be overweight from infancy through adolescence. The Institute of Medicine has issued guidelines for weight gain during pregnancy that recommend lower weight gain for women of higher pre-pregnancy BMI; however, nearly half of obese women and over 60% of overweight women in the United States are gaining above the recommended range. The optimal amount of weight gain for obese pregnant women remains controversial. When considering the optimal weight gain for obese women, the risks of low birthweight infants are balanced against risks of fetal overgrowth, maternal metabolic disorders, childbirth complications, and long-term maternal weight gain, as well as childhood obesity in the offspring. Interventions that modify diet and physical activity during pregnancy have been shown to have a modest effect on pregnancy weight gain.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Naomi E. Stotland

  2. Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Oakland, CA, USA

    Janet C. King

Authors
  1. Naomi E. Stotland
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  2. Janet C. King
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Naomi E. Stotland .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Director, Weight Assessment for Teen and, Division of Endocrinology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, 94143, USA

    Robert H Lustig

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Stotland, N.E., King, J.C. (2011). Maternal Weight Gain During Pregnancy and Obesity in the Offspring. In: Lustig, R. (eds) Obesity Before Birth. Endocrine Updates, vol 30. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7034-3_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7034-3_10

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-7033-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-7034-3

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