A new study has disclosed that more infants are being born with extra body fat simultaneously when BMI has augmented among expecting females.

Scientists from Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics in Kansas City, Mo., examined data from 1990 to 2005 and analyzed over 74,000 births.

They discovered that the ponderal index, a measurement of newborn body fat composition, correlated with the mom's body mass index and also increased over the research period.

Infants having a higher ponderal index tend to have extra body fat.

Study's lead author Felix Okah, professor of paediatrics and director, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship Program, Children''s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics stated, "Health care providers need to pay closer attention to the body mass index of women before they get pregnant, and equal attention to how much weight they gain during the pregnancy."

"Adult diseases like obesity may have their foundation during the foetal period, so efforts to safeguard the health of the foetus could translate to future adult health for these newborns," Prof. Felix added.

The results of the study were released during the Paediatric Academic Societies annual conference. (With Inputs from Agencies)