DIET, EXERCISE DURING PREGNANCY HAS HIDDEN BENEFITS
It might not be obvious on the scales, but healthy eating and increased
physical activity from walking during pregnancy is directly associated with a
range of improved outcomes at birth, according to researchers from the
University of Adelaide.
Results of the
world's biggest study of its kind -- offering healthy eating and exercise
advice to pregnant women who are overweight or obese -- are published today in
two papers in the journal BMC Medicine.
"While it might
have been expected that healthier eating and increased physical activity during
pregnancy would be associated with differences in weight gain, our findings
highlight that weight gain in pregnancy is not an ideal measure of pregnancy
health," says study leader Professor Jodie Dodd, from the University of
Adelaide's Robinson Research Institute and the Women's and Children's Hospital.
"Importantly,
however, these changes in diet and physical activity were directly associated
with significant improvements in outcomes for babies.
"Women who
received dietary and lifestyle advice increased the number of servings they
consumed per day of fruits and vegetables, while reducing the percentage of
energy in their diet derived from saturated fats.
"Women were
also successful in increasing their physical activity, with about 15-20 minutes
of brisk walking on most days of the week," Professor Dodd says.
Study leaders have
previously reported a significant reduction in the number of babies born over
4kg to women who received the diet and lifestyle advice during pregnancy. The
researchers can now report a range of other benefits for these babies,
including a reduced chance of moderate to severe respiratory distress syndrome
and reduced length of stay in hospital.
"Approximately
50% of women are overweight or obese during pregnancy. Until this study was
conducted, there had been little evidence about the overall benefits of dietary
and lifestyle interventions on this group of women," says study co-author
Dr Rosalie Grivell from the University's Robinson Research Institute.
"Our hope is
that by following some simple, practical and achievable lifestyle advice,
pregnant women can improve their health and the outcomes for their babies. We
would, of course, recommend that these lifestyle changes be adopted as much as
possible before women become pregnant," Dr Grivell says.
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