Pregnant women warned to avoid weight-gain

Women who are overweight before and during pregnancy increase the risk of both them and their baby needing a healthcare plan, it has been suggested.

In new guidelines issued by health watchdog the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE), doctors and nurses should encourage women to achieve a healthy weight before they are pregnant and not "eat for two" while with child.

This is because obesity during pregnancy is shown to increase the risk to health of both mother and baby with complications during childbirth more likely.

Jane Brewin, chief executive of baby charity Tommy's, welcomed the news, saying that the number of pregnant women who are overweight or obese is rising at an "alarming rate".

"We know that, during pregnancy, obesity increases the risks of health complications for the mother and poses long-term health risks for the baby. A set of guidelines to ensure all women receive optimal care and support is a step in the right direction," she said.

Growing obesity among women has been blamed for a dramatic rise in womb cancer over the last 30 years, Cancer Research UK recently reported.

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