Penn State researchers say many women don't get the right advice about how much weight to gain during pregnancy.
Doctors base how much weight a woman should gain when she's pregnant on how much she weighed at the start. That means 25 to 35 pounds for a woman of normal weight, 15 to 25 for overweight women and less than 20 pounds for obese women.
In a study by researchers at Penn State College of Medicine, all of the overweight women exceeded the recommended weight gain, and nine of the obese did. Most said they didn't receive specific advice on weight gain at the start of pregnancy,
Overweight and obese women already have a higher risk of pregnancy complications.
Doctors base how much weight a woman should gain when she's pregnant on how much she weighed at the start. That means 25 to 35 pounds for a woman of normal weight, 15 to 25 for overweight women and less than 20 pounds for obese women.
In a study by researchers at Penn State College of Medicine, all of the overweight women exceeded the recommended weight gain, and nine of the obese did. Most said they didn't receive specific advice on weight gain at the start of pregnancy,
Overweight and obese women already have a higher risk of pregnancy complications.
Charlotte Ames is the area's only local Health Reporter and brings you the latest medical health news weeknights. You can catch Healthcast on WTAJ News at 5:00pm and her Health Headlines report on WTAJ News at 5:30pm.