Study finds ‘eating for two’ is a dangerous pregnancy myth
Moms-to-be who eat for two are a third more likely to need a c-section, a study shows.
It also found it doubles their chance of having an oversized baby.
Nearly half of expectant moms pile on too many pounds.
Medics warn heavyweight tots are more likely to need medical intervention – and are at greater risk of lifelong health problems.
Experts analyzed more than 1.3 million pregnancies from 23 studies.
They found 47 percent of women put on too much weight when expecting – putting their own and their unborn child’s health at risk.
Moms-to-be should gain around 25 pounds, according to NHS Choices website.
But medics advise tubby women pile on less, while those who are too slim before pregnancy should put on more.
The Monash University, Australia, study also found 23 percent put on too little weight, raising the risk of having an underweight tot or pre-term delivery.
Corresponding author Dr. Aaron Caughey from the Oregon Health & Science University said “eating for two” is a myth.
He said: “It overestimates the additional caloric needs during pregnancy and misrepresents the recommendation that a pregnant woman should increase food consumption by only a few hundred calories per day.”
The findings are published in the journal JAMA.
Nearly half of all expectant Moms are too fat, NHS figures out last year show.
One in five is classed as obese and another 26 percent overweight when they turn up for their first maternity appointment.
Dr. Daghni Rajasingam, from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said: “It is a myth that women need to ‘eat for two’ during their pregnancy – energy needs do not change until the last three months of pregnancy, when women need an extra 200 calories a day.
“The results of this large scale study highlight the potential complications for mother and baby if a woman gains more or less weight in pregnancy than is recommended.”
A record 27 percent of babies were born by cesarean in 2015, fueled by tubby moms-to-be.
It is up from 24.1 percent a decade ago and 12 percent in 1990 and 1991.
Louise Silverton, Director for Midwifery at the Royal College of Midwives, said: “This study shows how important it is for women to avoid gaining excessive weight during pregnancy and, if overweight at the end of pregnancy, to try to lose that weight before they have another baby.
“Midwives need time with women during postnatal care to provide these messages.
“It is also important to look at women who do not put on enough a weight, as this may be related to other issues.”