It is unknown how much weight a woman should put on during pregnancy. Some studies have found that women who put on more weight that average, have bigger babies than average. Babies that weight over 4.5 kg at birth are at increased risk of birth difficulties and injuries and their mothers are at increased risk of delivery complications. It is thought that limiting a woman’s weight gain during pregnancy may reduce her risk of having a large baby. However there is no scientific evidence to prove this. There is also the concern that asking a woman to restrict her diet during pregnancy may limit the nutrition available to her growing baby. This study will look at the amount of weight a woman puts on in both early and late pregnancy and compare this to her baby’s birth weight and to the percentage body fat of her baby. It is expected that the results of this study will allow evidence-based advice to be given to women regarding optimising their weight gain in pregnancy. The second part of this project will examine the relationship between a baby’s birth weight and its percentage body fat, as not all babies born at the same birth weight will have the same amount of fat. Comparing a baby’s fat percentage to the mother’s weight gain will help us understand the factors influencing not only fetal growth but also fat deposition in the baby.
