Washington, Oct 02 : A Saint Louis University study has found that during pregnancy, severely obese women should lose weight while obese women should gain less weight than recommended.

The study was conducted by Raul Artal, M.D., and chairman of the department of obstetrics, gynaecology and women’s health at Saint Louis University School of Medicine.

“This study confirms what we’ve suspected all along -- that obese women don’t have to gain any weight during their pregnancy,” Dr. Artal said.

The study analysed the pregnancies of more than 120,000 obese women to see how weight gain affected preeclampsia.

Preeclampsia is high blood pressure brought on by pregnancy; caesarean delivery; and birth size.

The study showed that limiting weight gain of obese women during pregnancy had many benefits.

Women with a BMI of 35, who gain fewer than the currently recommended 15 pounds are less likely to develop preeclampsia, need a caesarean delivery and are more likely to have a baby of normal weight.

“Obese and overweight women should gain very little weight at all,” Dr. Artal said.

The study also found that women of different weights should gain or even lose different amounts of weight.

Dr. Artal said that the findings were significant in addressing a major public health crisis, that is, weight gain.

“It’s been shown in the literature time and time again. Weight gain increases in subsequent pregnancies because women accumulate weight with each pregnancy and don’t lose it,” he said.

He also added that the activities of mothers often determined the behaviour of the rest of the family.

 “This is a multi-generational problem. The behaviour modification starts with mom. If mothers are overeating and not exercising, that’s how the rest of the family is likely to behave,” he said.

The study will be published in Obstetrics & Gynaecology. (With inputs from ANI)