A new study has found that a little weight gain during the fag end of a pregnancy can be extremely beneficial for the unborn child.
The research that was conducted by St John’s Medical College in Bengaluru, and the Harvard School of Public Health and Boston Children’s Hospital, also says that gaining 490 gms of weight per week reduces the risk of giving birth to low birth weight babies by 63 percent.
Weight gain will benefit the unborn child
Short-statured women are thought to be more likely to deliver weak babies due to insufficient nutrition reserves that reduce their availability to the growing fetus. Also, they are thought to be prone to deliver small-sized babies as they have a short pelvic and uterine volume.
In addition, the study also suggests that low birth weight puts newborns at a higher risk of developing hypertension, diabetes as well as low metabolism. In fact, UNICEF figures reveal that nearly 8 million Indian babies died of low birth weight.
During the course of the study, they also found that weight gain during the last trimester was especially beneficial for the unborn child. And in order to do just that, expecting mums must concentrate on their health and nutrition.