Pregnant women can improve their health through both diet and exercise, according to an analysis published today.
Researchers say there is now overwhelming evidence that women should aim to maintain a healthy weight during pregnancy and avoid the temptation to eat "for two."
The findings are an update on a 2012 analysis by the Cochrane Review when analysts said the evidence was inconclusive.
They say there is now overwhelming evidence based on 37 new studies involving more than 11,000 women in the last three years.
Being overweight during pregnancy increases the risk of developing diabetes and high blood pressure and of babies being excessively large and of needing delivery by caesarean section.
Healthy diets tended to be based on reducing sugar levels – while exercise was of moderate intensity and included activities such as walking, aerobics and dance.
All this may reduce the risk of a birth needing Caesarean delivery by a small amount – and also reduces the risk of blood pressure increasing, according to the analysis.
Researcher Benja Muktabhant, of Khon Kaen University, Thailand, said:
“The review’s findings will be important for informing antenatal care guidelines.
“However, we need more studies on the effectiveness of these interventions in low-income countries and in women with non-Western lifestyles.”
Diet or exercise, or both, for preventing excessive weight gain in pregnancy. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 11 June 2015; doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD007145.pub2 [abstract]
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