A new study has confirmed what many women have long suspected -
pregnancy permanently changes the size and shape of the mum-to-
be’s feet. Flat feet are a common problem for pregnant women.
The arch of the foot flattens out, possibly due to the extra
weight and increased looseness (laxity) of the joints associated
with pregnancy. The study by the University of Iowa suggests
that this loss of arch height is permanent. “I had heard women
reporting changes in their shoe size with pregnancy, but found
nothing about that in medical journals or textbooks,” Neil
Segal, UI associate professor of orthopaedics and rehabilitation
said. “In order to study this more scientifically, we measured
women’s feet at the beginning of their pregnancy and five months
after delivery. We found that pregnancy does indeed lead to
permanent changes in the feet,” he said. The UI study followed
49% women and collected static and dynamic arch measurements
during the first trimester of pregnancy and again about five
months after childbirth.