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Still birth, infant death linked to weight gain between pregnancies
Women who gained weight between their first and second pregnancies, but were of healthy weight prior to their first pregnancy, were at increased risk of their second-born child dying within the first year of life, according to recently published data.
“The public health implications are profound. Around a fifth of women in our study gained enough weight between pregnancies to increase their risk of stillbirth by 30% to 50%, and their likelihood of giving birth to babies who die in infancy increased by 27% to 60%, if they had a healthy weight during their first pregnancy,” Sven Cnattingius, MD, PhD, professor at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, said in a press release.
Cnattingius and colleague analyzed data from the 1992-2012 Swedish Medical Birth Register to assess the correlation between change in BMI between first and second pregnancies and risk for stillbirth and infant death in second-born children. The analysis included 456,711 women.
Study results demonstrated a positive association between interpregnancy weight gain and stillbirth. Additionally, higher rates of infant mortality were seen among women who gained more than 4 BMI units between pregnancies. After adjusting for maternal age, education level and smoking, women who gained more than 4 BMI units between pregnancies had a 50% higher chance of their second child dying within the first 4 weeks of life, according to a press release.
Higher rates of second-born infant mortality and stillbirth was seen in overweight or obese women, compared with women of normal weight during their first pregnancy, according to the researchers.
A 50% reduced likelihood of infant death was seen in women who were overweight (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) but lost at least 6 kg prior to becoming pregnant a second time, according to the researchers.
The researchers noted that further research is needed to identify why obesity and overweight impacts stillbirth and neonatal mortality.
“The prevalence of overweight and obesity in pregnant women has reached epidemic levels. More than half of women in the USA and one in three women in Sweden are either overweight or obese at the start of their pregnancy. Our findings highlight the importance of educating women about maintaining a healthy weight during pregnancy and reducing excess weight before becoming pregnant as a way to improve infant survival,” Eduardo Villamor, MD, MPH, Dr.PH, professor of epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, said in a press release. – by Casey Hower
Disclosures: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.