Food Insecurity Increases Chances of Weight Gain During Pregnancy

A new study conducted by scientists in the U.S. has pointed out that living in a food-insecure household during pregnancy may up the risk of greater weight gain during pregnancy.

A new study conducted by scientists in the U.S. has pointed out that living in a food-insecure household during pregnancy may up the risk of greater weight gain and pregnancy complications.

Household food insecurity, the inability to obtain nutritious and safe foods in socially acceptable ways, is increasingly recognized as an independent risk factor for many poor health outcomes among women.

Ectopic Pregnancy - Causes - Symptoms - Diagnosis - Treatment - FAQs
When the fertilization of the ovum occurs in a place other than the uterus, the condition is called ectopic pregnancy. This is a life-threatening condition, ectopic pregnancy surgery can help.

Previous studies have shown that paradoxically, women living in food insecure households report higher rates of overweight and related health complications.

"The present study was conducted to estimate the association between household food insecurity status and maternal health during pregnancy, when changes in both body weight and overall health can be dramatic," according to Barbara A. Laraia, and co-authors.

"The results suggest that the experience of living in a food insecure household was associated with metabolic health indicators during pregnancy.

Home Pregnancy Test - Principle - Advantages - Perform - FAQs
A home pregnancy test is a test done to find out if one is pregnant or not in the relative comforts of the home.

"Not only was living in a food insecure household associated with severe pregravid obesity-a condition that broadly predisposes women to adverse pregnancy outcomes-but also with greater gestational weight gain and gestational diabetes mellitus," she added.

Researchers from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and the US Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service, Washington, DC, used data from the Pregnancy, Infection and Nutrition prospective cohort study-810 pregnant women with incomes less than 400 percent of the income/poverty ratio were followed through their pregnancies.

AIDS and Pregnancy - Treatment - Caring HIV Babies
The Acquired immune deficiency syndrome is brought about by the deadly human immunodeficiency virus. In the USA alone an estimate of 120,000 - 160,000 women are HIV- infected.

This household income restriction allowed better comparison among households that might have food insecurity due to financial and material constraints. In this group, 76 percent were from fully food secure, 14 percent were from marginally food secure, and 10 percent were from food insecure households.

A significant finding that emerged is the association between household food insecurity and development of GDM.

Psychological Changes in Pregnancy - How to Deal - FAQs - Reference
Pregnancy is an experience of growth, change, enrichment and challenge. During the 40 weeks of pregnancy, the expectant mother will go through several physical and emotional changes.

The authors observed that the combined group of women from marginally secure and insecure food households had more than twice the odds of developing GDM than women in food secure households, suggesting that women living in a household with any level of food insecurity may be at risk.

The study has been published in the May issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

Source-ANI
SAV