Obese mom-to-be should stop eating for two

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- A U.S. researcher advises obese and overweight mothers-to-be to stop eating for two.

The study, published in Obstetrics & Gynecology, advises obese pregnant women to gain less weight than currently recommended.

"This study confirms what we’ve suspected all along -- that obese women don’t have to gain any weight during their pregnancy," study author Dr. Raul Artal, of the Saint Louis University School of Medicine in Missouri, said in a statement. "Obese and overweight women should gain very little weight at all."

The analysis of pregnancies of more than 120,000 obese women from Missouri found limiting weight gain beneficial for mother and baby. Women with a body mass index of 35, who gained less than 15 pounds, were less likely to need a Cesarean delivery and less likely to develop preeclampsia -- pregnancy related high pressure. They were also more likely to have a baby of normal weight.

A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered normal weight.

Artal's findings run counter to a l990 Institute of Medicine suggestion that pregnant women gain 15 pounds or more.

"Guidelines for nutrition during pregnancy at that time were based solely on expert opinion and not on scientific data," Artal said. "Obesity was not the problem it is now."